Tertius Vita
by Shan84
Summary: Post war and Hermione is struggling to deal with all of the public scrutiny. She decides to escape and attend muggle university for the time being. Who's the handsome stranger in Hermione's classes and why are Draco & Blaise here?
1. Chapter 1

**Rightio, so here it is... my first attempt at a TR/HG fan fic. Please enjoy.**

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Chapter 1

If there was one moment in life where you could actually taste relief and freedom it was right in this very hour. Harry Potter had just defeated Voldemort. The world was safe. Cheers erupted from across the magical world as news passed around that it was over. Reminiscent of Muggle world wars, people danced in the street, hugging friends and strangers alike.

Two men hadn't had a chance to celebrate yet, well, celebrate in the traditional sense that is. Although, one might say that moving Voldemort's lifeless body was a celebration and reward in itself. O'Keefe and Beretz, two ordinary Aurors, silently travelled through the Ministry levitating a body in front of them. They travelled to the deepest recess of the Ministry – perhaps even deeper than the Department of Mysteries. When they finally reached their destination they met an Unspeakable. The Unspeakable nodded silently at the two and motioned for them to follow him. O'Keefe looked at the almost black hall ways with interest whilst Beretz looked slightly indifferent to his surroundings. They finally reached a small dark room where a glass case sat levitated the middle.

The Unspeakable moved over towards the glass case and waved his wand in a complicated gesture. A sound similar to pressured air being released filled the room and the glass lid lifted off the case, levitating beside it.

The Unspeakable finally spoke. "Bring him over here - carefully please." His voice was gruff from lack of use.

The two Aurors levitated the fallen dark lord over to the glass case and slowly lowered him into it. The Unspeakable – with a look of disdain - carefully arranged Voldemort's body, ensuring everything was in its place.

"What happens now?" O'Keefe suddenly asked the Unspeakable. The Unspeakable paused and turned to look at the two men.

"You will both be obliviated of course." The two Aurors nodded in relief, understanding that it was dangerous for anyone to know where Voldemort's body was held. "Only myself and Shacklebolt – who is sure to get Minister – will know his whereabouts."

"What do you think will happen to him? Surely they don't want to keep his body forever?" Beretz asked.

"Shacklebolt will decide. He's completely dead now anyway; there's no way to bring him back… in my view it is probably best to keep him here or burn him up…" The Unspeakable responded.

"Urgh, this just gives me the creeps, let's get this over with." O'Keefe responded, suddenly feeling uneasy being in such a small room with a dead dark lord.

The Unspeakable finished sealing off the glass case and waved a number of complicated and intricate wards over it before turning towards the other two men and gesturing that is was time to leave. The three men turned and left, without a second glance at man in the glass case, anxious to leave this dark recess of the Ministry.

Perhaps if any of them did turn and give a last glance at the dark wizard they might have noticed his hands. His hands were no longer thin and spidery, but somehow, suddenly, human.

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_ONE MONTH LATER_

Kingsley paced his office and turned to look back at the Unspeakable. Anger flashed in his eyes.

"What do you mean there is a situation in the tomb?" he asked.

"Minister, with all due respect, this is not something that I wish to discuss here. I also believe this is something you need to see for yourself," the Unspeakable replied smoothly, staring back at the Minister.

"Okay, okay." He rubbed the back of his neck in frustration. "When should we go down there?"

"Now if you can Sir. I believe the situation needs to be handled as quickly as possible."

"Okay. I will go cancel the rest of my afternoon. Please call on Dumbledore's portrait, and bring it with us, I wish to have his advice on the topic and please be discreet." He quickly walked from the room.

The Unspeakable quickly walked over to the portrait and called for Dumbledore. The man in question suddenly appeared, eyes twinkling and beard almost reaching his knees.

"Ahhh! Mr Hannigan! Class of 1984 – Ravenclaw!" Dumbledore smiled from the portrait. "What brings you to Minister Shacklebolts office? Surely not just to speak with me?" the old man asked.

"Actually Headmaster… Minister Shacklebolt has requested that I take your portrait with us – he requires your assistance."

"Oh, dear boy, whatever for?" Dumbledore suddenly had a curious glint in his eye. "I know you are an unspeakable now, so I am assuming it is something rather important?"

"Well Sir, with all due respect, I don't think it is best to discuss here. If you could kindly cooperate with us, I think it would be most worthy of your time."

"I have all the time in the world. Lead the way Unspeakable Hannigan!"

The two men and portrait finally found themselves outside the most secret room in the Ministry. The Unspeakable quickly disabled the complicated wards and stepped into the room. Where the glass case previously levitated was a trolley similarly found in a hospital. Kingsley stepped in holding Dumbledore's portrait and gasped.

Laying on the trolley was a man who looked no older than 20. His eyes were closed, but to those who knew him, recognised him straight away. The Unspeakable seemed slightly indifferent, having already seen the new appearance once already. Kingsley and Dumbledore gasped. The noise awoke the young man in the bed and he turned and looked at the two other men and portrait – immediately looking suspiciously at Dumbledore.

"Where am I?" he suddenly croaked. "Professor Dumbledore?" he looked at the portrait.

Dumbledore quickly masked his shock. "Hello young Master Riddle." Surprisingly, to the other two men, Dumbledore smiled kindly at the young man on the trolley.

"Where am I?" Riddle repeated the question. Kingsley and the Unspeakable stood in shock. Dumbledore knowingly took the lead.

"Why Tom, why don't you tell us how long it has been since you graduated from Hogwarts?"

Riddle looked suspiciously at the much older looking Professor in the portrait. "Why are you asking me this? I finished at Hogwarts last year – you know that."

"Yes Tom, and I do recall you graduated at the top of the class, head boy as well," Dumbledore replied with a twinkle in his eye. "Where are you working these days? I know Slughorn was grooming you for the Ministry."

"The Ministry?" Tom asked almost incredulously. "Why would I want to work with those fools?" he rolled his eyes. Kingsley huffed at the young man in the bed.

"Oh, that's right, aren't you working at Borgin and Burkes at the moment?" Dumbledore feigned innocence in what was obviously a controlled conversation – trying to get as much information as possible.

"Are you dead?" Tom suddenly asked Dumbledore. "When did you die? What happened to me? How long have I been asleep for?"

"Indeed Tom, I have passed on. We are trying to work out what happened to you." Dumbledore gestured at himself and the two men standing around him. "What is your last memory before you came here?"

Tom looked as though he was trying to remember. Something suddenly flashed across his face before he quickly looked away, masking his emotions. Crossing his arms, he looked blankly back at the other three men. Knowing this expression well, Dumbledore took this as a cue to talk to the other men.

"Excuse us, Tom, but I must speak to my two companions alone," Dumbledore stated, carefully leaving Kingsley and Hannigan's names out. The other two men quickly complied and they walked outside the room quickly closing the door. Hannigan cast a silencio and turned to look at the other two.

"This is much graver than I thought." Dumbledore looked solemnly at Kingsley and then Hannigan. "This is very dark magic, something which even I don't really understand myself."

"What do you mean?" Kingsley sounded desperately worried.

"I suspect that Tom did this to himself not long after he graduated from school," Dumbledore replied. "This is magic that I have read about only in the darkest texts. You need to understand his fear of death to understand why he did this to himself. But even I did not suspect he would go this far," he said gravely. Kingsley shuddered slightly, this was the most upset he had ever seen Dumbledore.

"What do you know of this magic Dumbledore?" Kingsley suddenly questioned. "We need to know as much as possible."

Dumbledore looked solemnly at Kingsley and Hannigan and settled himself in the chair in his frame. "Do you both understand Mr Riddle's fear of death?" He asked rather seriously.

"Yes, we are well aware of the Horcruxes and his obsession with Harry," Kingsley answered for the both of them.

"Well, to explain this, I must stress his fear of death. You see, this magic is extremely dark… if it is what I suspect, this magic originated in Bulgaria. I do understand that Riddle spent some time in Eastern Europe whilst fashioning himself into a dark wizard. I believe it originated with the vampires there and ties in with the fact that vampires can live for many years and are almost immortal -"

"You think he is a vampire?" Hannigan interrupted.

"No. Voldemort would never leave any weakness that vampires have…" Dumbledore trailed off.

"What then?" Kinglsey demanded in frustration; forgetting the respect he had of the old wizard.

"There is a theory that the blood of a vampire rejuvenates you. What I mean is… vampire blood, if used in the right way, can renew you, in a way. You've seen how Vampires do not age, and heal quickly and easily."

"So he has basically given himself another chance?" Kingsley asked.

"Well, that is what I am assuming. The spell I believe he used would mean he would have had to have drink the blood of a Vampire…" Dumbledore looked disgusted at what he was talking about. Hannigan blanched slightly and Kingsley looked shocked.

"But vampires are almost impossible to kill…" Kingsley stated.

"I know, Kingsley, but there are ways… Basically, this spell means that the recipient, if killed, is 'renewed' or 'rejuvinated'."

"Well. Can we please turn off life support?" Hannigan asked sarcastically.

"Unfortunately, from what I know about this magic, is that he will keep coming back at this age, over and over again. The downside for Tom is that he will have no memory past the day he cast the magic. Therefore, he won't remember the last fifty years. That's why it's a last resort. I'm not even sure if there is anything that could actually reverse this sort of magic." Dumbledore looked forlorn.

"What? What the hell do we do with him, then?" Kingsley gasped.

"We certainly can't keep him here if he is alive," Hannigan added

"It would just be easier if he didn't exist…" Kingsley sighed.

"With all due respect, Minister, despite what Mr Riddle has done in his time, it appears that he has no recollection of being Lord Voldemort in recent years… we cannot treat him as if he doesn't exist, he has been treated as being unwanted since he was a child. Technically he is only 19 years old again," Dumbledore sighed and rubbed his forehead.

"Well maybe we could just pretend he doesn't exist?" Hannigan jokingly added.

"Professor, with all due respect, hadn't Riddle already murdered his father and grandparents as well as causing the death of another student at Hogwarts?" Kingsley then asked.

Dumbledore looked as though he was thinking and Kingsley watched Dumbledore.

"Perhaps we can pretend…?" Dumbledore looked as though he had thought of something.

"What are you talking about Professor?" Kingsley asked.

"Well, Minister… what if Mr Riddle didn't live in the wizarding world? What if he lived as a muggle? We could Obliviate him and he would have no wand."

"That's crazy! And incredibly risky!" Hannigan gasped.

"Yes, it is. But what other choice do we have? If he lived as a muggle with no chance of coming into contact with the world of magic then we would be safe. If he is not exposed to anything magic then under the obliviation he wouldn't be able to link any magical feelings to anything." Dumbledore was thoughtful.

"I think this idea is far-fetched but may be our only hope." Kingsley looked hopeful.

"I don't agree with this at all… how can we guarantee he will never be exposed to magic… or never seek it out?" Hannigan stated.

"I am happy to obliviate you of this responsibility Hannigan." Kingsley stated. "Dumbledore and I will wear this responsibility."

"What if he harnesses his magic?" Hannigan questioned.

"We will put tracks on him. Any magic that is not accidental will be picked up by myself." Kingsley stated solemnly.

"I do not know what else to do… We will convince him he is a young muggle male… he may not lose the coldness that has chased him throughout his life, but at least he won't have magic to add to his personality." Dumbledore looked upset at the idea.

"Dumbledore, why do you look so upset at this idea?" Kingsley asked.

"Because, my dear friend, if Tom Riddle had his mother I suspect he would have been completely different. If someone showed him _love _he would have been a great wizard. Don't get me wrong, I think he would have always had a fascination with the dark arts, but having love may have turned him away from the path he chose. Tom is an incredible wizard. It saddens me to know of what he path he chose and it also saddens me to know that we can't re-write what he has done. He would never be accepted back into the world of magic…" Dumbledore sighed.

"We could never do it to Harry," Kingsley added.

"Well, I do agree with that, Kingsley," Hannigan said. "Please Obliviate me. I couldn't deal with knowing that he was out there – muggle or not." Hannigan looked ashamed at what he asked.

"Hannigan, we understand why you feel this way." Dumbledore acquiesced the Unspeakable.

"Then it is decided. Tom Riddle will not re-enter this world – whether it is Azkaban or not," Kingsley Shacklebolt stated with some finality.

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Tom Riddle stared at his hands whilst the two men and Dumbledore's portrait obviously discussed him outside. Where was he? Or, more accurately, what time period was he in? He knew he must be somewhere in the Ministry. The two men with Dumbledore reeked of 'Ministry employee'. Tom smirked. Dumbledore must be dead to be communicating through a portrait. Well the fool certainly looked old enough, Tom mused. He wondered what caused the death of one of the greatest wizards of all time… More importantly, though, he wondered how he would get out of here and continue his most important work. He was thinking quietly when the door to his room opened again. This time, it was just the dark skinned man and Dumbledore's portrait who re-entered. What happened to the other man?

"Ah, Tom, sorry to keep you waiting!" said Dumbledore, with that ever annoying twinkle in his eye.

"What is going on exactly?" Tom demanded, giving harsh looks to both Dumbledore and the black man.

"Tom, you were such a talented wizard. Please forgive us for this transgression." Dumbledore sighed.

"What do you mean by _that_?" Tom was scared now.

"Good luck Tom, please use this chance more wisely." Dumbledore said with nothing but kindness in his eyes as the black man held his wand up and stated:

"_OBLIVIATE!"_

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***Comes out from behind Dumbledore's portrait* Soooo, whaddya think? Tom obviously has no recollection of what went on past his time at Hogwarts. That said, he's still a very bad boy ;)**

**Next Chapter we meet Hermione, Draco and Blaise and there is also a confrontation with Tom.**

**I'm going to try and bring Tom's personality out more in upcoming chapters. Despite being obliviated and led to believe he is a muggle, I don't believe it would cause his manipulative personality to disappear.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Enjoy everyone!

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CHAPTER 2

Hermione grumbled as her alarm clock went off. She quickly tapped the snooze button and unceremoniously snuggled deeper into her pillows. Today was the day, her first day at a muggle university – studying literature at Oxford no less! Hermione silently thanked Hogwarts again for giving her 'muggle records' to allow entry. She suddenly felt excited and twisted in her sheets, imagining what she should wear on her first day of class. The snooze button suddenly activated again and Hermione took this as a cue to get up.

She bumbled around her small flat sipping tea and trying to get herself ready. In that time she thought about Harry and Ron. It had been a year since the war ended and the war was the reason she was re-entering the muggle world. She couldn't handle the stares and constant attention in the magic world. Whilst Ron took it in his stride and Harry was becoming slightly reclusive, Hermione couldn't handle the lifestyles they had chosen… she needed something more and just plain average after all these years of 'excitement'. Thus, she had decided to enter the muggle world and live a normal life as a university student for a few years without the war and attention.

"Hmmm, Crookie what do you reckon I should wear?" She asked her old cat whilst digging through her wardrobe. Crookshanks just stared at her indifferently. Hermione sighed at this and continued looking through her wardrobe. _Hmmm, what about these jeans?_ she mused to herself as she pulled a pair of dark indigo skinny jeans out. She then decided on a deep red v-neck top. Black converse sneakers completed the look and she quickly walked to her bathroom.

She sighed whilst examining her hair. Whilst it wasn't a bushy mess anymore, Hermione wished she had dead straight locks like Ginny. Instead her hair tumbled down her back in a mass of waves. She put some serum on her hands and ran it through her curls hoping it would be enough. A little bit of blush, mascara and she was ready to go. She grabbed her bag – which had been packed the night before – and left her flat and quickly apparated to a street near Oxford.

She silently walked through the halls, breathing in the history of the place, searching for her very first class, English Literature. She finally found the room and walked in, not looking up at anyone and quickly finding a seat. She slightly looked up as she pulled her note book and pens out, noting that the class was filling up quickly. Relieved she got a seat in a rather inconspicuous place she opened her note book up and wrote the date down, ready to start. She prided herself on how inconspicuous she was being… _just a regular student, going to class, no war, no horcruxes – I am being completely normal!_ She nodded in reassurance to herself.

Little did she know that she had caught the attention of two wizards… one who couldn't believe his eyes when he sighted her – what a familiar sight for sore eyes! The other wizard stared at her in appreciation unabashedly. The first wizard quickly wrote a note and magically sent it to her desk.

Hermione blanched – a note had just magically settled in front of her. _Bloody hell! Don't tell me there is a magical person in my class! _She looked up in suspicion, and then quickly looked back down and unfolded the note…

_Of all the English lit classes in the world, you have to walk into ours… turn around…_

She felt a little sick at the thought, but pulled her Gryffindor courage out and slowly turned around. Sitting there with identical smirks were none other than Blaise Zabini and Draco Malfoy. Hermione's eyes bulged in recognition and she quickly turned back around whilst blushing furiously. She heard Blaise chuckle lightly whilst Draco muttered something along the lines of "Looking good Granger, you ARE a sight for sore eyes…"

_Bloody hell! _Hermione thought, taking a verbal cue from Ron. Why on earth were Draco Malfoy and Blaise Zabini sitting right behind her in a MUGGLE university? They were the two biggest pureblood prats around… _Why weren't they off spending their inheritance?_ She scowled to herself. Trying to regain her composure she tried to think of the situation in a more "glass half full" manner… Well if this happened two years ago she would have definitely cursed Malfoy to another planet by now and still perved at Zabini, but maybe send him a stinging hex for good measure, _can't have Malfoy feeling left out! _She sniggered to herself at that thought.

Since the war ended and Lucius Malfoy got tucked into bed every night at Azkaban, Narcissa and Draco Malfoy had made considerable steps to distance themselves from Voldemort's attempted power grab. Whilst Hermione knew the two weren't completely innocent in everything, including Malfoy being a complete wanker, she knew that much of this was the result of Lucius blindly following the Dark Lord and taking his family with him. Harry had vouched for both of them to the Ministry, having seen Malfoy lower his wand on the astronomy tower the night Dumbledore died and Narcissa saving Harry on the night of the final battle.

Zabini on the other hand… _now there was a curious case!_ The Slytherin hadn't aligned himself with the dark side during the war, but didn't really seem that interested in the light side either. It was almost as though he thought he was above the war and most other things actually. _Could that prick be any more conceited?_ Hermione thought as she recalled how smooth the Italian wizard was – he never seemed to put a foot wrong in anything.

_Well! _She thought to herself, _they will not get the better of me! _Hermione promptly turned her attention to her literature professor who had just entered the room.

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The young man with dark, almost black, hair noticed the girl as soon as she walked into the classroom. Not much ever escaped the attention of Tom Smith; it was something that he prided himself on. The girl with the crazy, wavy hair sat about two rows diagonally from him and pulled her note book out of her bag. He continued watching her as she settled into her seat and organised herself for class. Something seemed to crackle around this girl, almost a glow. She had a certain understated beauty that most men wouldn't realise because she obviously preferred to fly under the radar. The girl suddenly seemed to notice something and looked up with a suspicious expression on her face. Tom noticed her large brown eyes and pink lips. _Yes, there was definitely something about this girl._ She then looked down and read something on her desk, looking shocked at first and then turning slightly pale. She slowly lifted her head and turned around. Tom followed her gaze. She met the eyes of two arrogant looking men behind her who smirked at her. The girl looked as though she instantly recognised the two men and looked annoyed all of a sudden. Tom wondered how they seemed to know one another. He turned his attention to the two men behind her. They also seemed to have a certain air around them. They were both dressed in what looked like expensive clothes and had an air of arrogance about them that only the wealthy could achieve. Tom instantly scowled. People like that really pissed Tom off. Spoilt and given everything they wanted and _of course _they would know this girl with the fiery energy crackling around her. The Professor suddenly walked in and distracted Tom. He looked away from the girl and two men and began concentrating on the lesson. However, every now and again he would turn and watch that girl out of the corner of his eye, as she interested him immensely.

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"So I want you all to finish reading Conrad's _Heart of Darkness_ before the tutorial this Thursday and please have an opinion on it!" Professor Stewart ordered the class as the lecture came to an end. Hermione quickly noted the homework in her diary and shoved her things into her bag. She was determined to be the first one out of class and _not_ talk to Zabini or Malfoy.

She jumped up and strode out of the class not taking a second glance behind her. As she walked down the hallway she thought she had finally hit the home straight until she felt a hand on her shoulder.

"Not so fast Granger!" yelled Malfoy who casually caught up to her. _Damn it! How could I get away being so short!_ She huffed and looked at him.

"What do you want Malfoy?" She asked rather shortly.

"Is that anyway to greet your old school chums?" Zabini asked, walking up on her other side.

"When it is two of the greatest gits in school then yes, it is! In fact I think I am being too nice." She scowled at Zabini.

"Come now, Granger. We just want to talk. Can we escort you to coffee?" Zabini smoothly responded.

Hermione huffed and studied the two. Did she really want to hang out with them? The idea of going to Oxford was to actually escape the wizarding world – not be reacquainted with old Hogwarts students. Her curiosity was winning out though… _Why were they here? _Maybe she could go to coffee, sate her curiosity and ignore them for the rest of the semester? _Yes, that's an idea!_ She was about to accept when she felt a presence behind them.

"Are you alright there?" A smooth voice asked. Hermione spun around only to face the best looking man she had ever seen. He was over six feet tall with black wavy hair that sat just on his ears and the greenest eyes and highest cheek bones that could probably cut glass.

"Um…" She stared dumbly up at him, admiring his clear alabaster skin and rather full kissable lips.

"She's fine!" Malfoy petulantly answered, annoyed at the mere presence of the stranger.

He turned to face Malfoy and gave him a cool look. "Was I asking you?"

Malfoy sputtered at this and Zabini snorted with laughter. Hermione rolled her eyes at the pissing contest as Malfoy stepped closer to Hermione and jutted his chin out a bit.

Hermione finally decided to speak up. "I'm fine, thanks. I know these two – we went to school together." She gave him a small smile. "I'm Hermione Granger by the way." She said, and held her hand out to shake his. "And these two are Draco Malfoy and Blaise Zabini." She said whilst nodding at the other two.

"Tom Smith." The handsome stranger responded and took Hermione's hand in his. Hermione couldn't help but notice how large and warm his hand was – it completely engulfed hers. "It's a pleasure to meet you." He didn't even bother looking at Malfoy and Zabini, who didn't seem to care one bit.

"It's a pleasure to meet you too." She grinned.

"Well, since you're okay Miss Granger, I best be off to my next class. We should catch up again soon." He smirked at Hermione and she blushed.

"Yeah sure, see you around." She responded and watched as he walked off to his next class.

"Merlin! What a prat!" Malfoy bristled which caused Hermione to turn and quirk an eyebrow him.

Blaise merely laughed. "Come on Granger, we're taking you to coffee." Hermione decided not to argue with him.

* * *

"So what are you two doing here?" Hermione asked as they sat at a small café with their coffees.

"Well, after the war it's been almost impossible to go out anywhere." Malfoy answered, looking down, embarrassed. "Mother suggested I lay low for a few years and then slowly work my way back into it. I was so bored at home and then Blaise and I thought coming to a muggle university might be a change we both need."

Hermione couldn't help but laugh in disbelief. "How ironic, after you spend years doing… well…" She cut herself off at their expressions.

"You have every right to say it Granger. We know it's weird." Zabini interrupted.

"Well can you blame me?" She pondered aloud.

"No, not really." Malfoy responded. "I think we owe you, more than anyone, an apology about our past behaviour." He looked solemnly at her.

Hermione thought about his words quietly. Should she forgive them? The war was over – for both sides. Would she be just as bad as those prejudiced towards her if she told Malfoy and Zabini to shove it? Another part of her thought that if they still believed the whole _mudblood _line of thought they wouldn't set foot in the muggle world.

"I guess we could call a truce for now." She responded quietly. "I mean the war is over and everything."

They both looked at her seriously and nodded. They continued to sip their coffees until Zabini suddenly spoke up. "So why are you here Granger?"

"Well it doesn't matter what side you're on… it's rather impossible to go out anywhere. I can't stand the attention and needed a break to be normal." She shrugged. "I mean it's how I'm coping. Harry has practically become a recluse and refuses to go out in public. Ron just takes it in his stride – I think he enjoys the attention actually. I can't stand the scrutiny though." She scrunched her nose up.

They nodded and surprisingly, to Hermione, had looks of understanding on their faces. They stayed quiet for a bit, thinking about the war and what it had left in its wake. Hermione decided to break the sombre mood that had settled over the table. "How the hell are you two surviving in the muggle world anyway?"

"Well Draco almost fainted at the sight of a television the other day!" Zabini offered and Hermione laughed and Malfoy's angry expression.

"I did not _almost faint_! Let me tell you something Granger, muggle studies at Hogwarts needs a _complete _overhaul!" he indignantly crossed his arms. "Anyway, you should have seen Blaise when he turned the television onto that channel!" Malfoy burst out laughing and Zabini gave him a threatening look, with his cheeks turning a deep pink colour.

"What channel?" Hermione asked.

"Oh! It's what the muggles call prawno!" Malfoy said, looking proud of himself.

Hermione burst into laughter. "It's called PORN Malfoy!" She laughed until tears came to her eyes.

"Oh! Well Blaise hasn't been able to stop watching it since he found it!"

"Shut up Draco!" Zabini hissed. This only made Hermione laugh even harder. The two wizards turned and looked at her. They couldn't help but grin at the pretty witch sitting with them.

"Oh I can't wait to take you both to the cinema!" She responded, instantly forgetting her initial plan of ignoring them for the rest of her time in the muggle world.

"It's a date Granger…" Malfoy responded in a rather cheesy manner that made Hermione roll her eyes.

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**So what do you think? Obviously the energy that Tom can see around Hermione is her magic. Despite being obliviated I still think he would be hypersensitive to a lot of things about the magical world, he just wouldn't be able to link it to anything. To him, she is just interesting, and we all know Riddle likes a puzzle to solve - or should I say _Tom Smith_! Lol. More will be revealed soon on how Dumbledore and Kingsley have constructed Riddle's muggle lifestyle.**

**So depending on the reaction I get from these two chapters will indicate whether I choose to keep writing this story. I have another fic on the go, which I am pretty intent on finishing. Not to mention I have university and work etc etc. This was simply an idea that popped into my head one day and I do have an idea of where I want the story to go...**

**So please REVIEW if you want me to keep writing this.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Here's Chapter 3! I was so inspired by the positive feedback I literally typed this up today... lol. Well the first sentence popped up in my head when I woke up and it kind of went from there on...**

**Many thanks to: , Sarah Rensi, missprez2007, Christy, GoldenAura, avrilavril and CaBuckeye... Thank you for all of your lovely reviews for chapters 1 & 2.**

**Thank you to everyone who has either added the story as a favourite or put it on alert.**

**Enjoy...**

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Chapter 3

"_I have wrestled with death. It is the most unexciting contest you could imagine." Joseph Conrad (Heart of Darkness)_

Hermione Granger found Blaise Zabini extraordinarily strange. From barely speaking during Hogwarts she suddenly found herself in his company more often than not in the last week. And with Blaise Zabini came Draco Malfoy. And with Draco Malfoy came incredible amounts of whinging.

"I don't even see what this book symbolises at all Granger." Draco huffed and threw his pen down. "I mean all I can see is this bloke who goes searching for another crazy bloke in Africa…"

"Malfoy, _Heart of Darkness _is an incredibly important piece of literature in the muggle world. It is supposed to symbolise the evil and darkness in people's hearts. The symbolism in the book expands on these as a struggle between light and darkness, not so much between people as in every major character's soul." Hermione rushed.

"Good point Granger." Blaise smirked and continued taking down notes for the upcoming tutorial.

"How is it that you are good at both muggle and magical stuff?" Draco pondered aloud.

"Did you even try to read the book Malfoy?" Hermione arched an eyebrow at him.

"Well, when you say it like that…" He sighed and looked around. "I'm bored…"

"Look we have to get to class anyway." Hermione huffed, suddenly having flashbacks to dealing with Harry and Ron and their homework.

They quickly packed their things up, realising that if they didn't hurry they would be late to their tutorial.

* * *

Stumbling into class, Hermione realised they were at least five minutes late and the room was almost full, leaving random empty chairs scattered across the room. Apologising quickly to the Professor they went to find seats. Blaise and Draco managed to find spare seats at the back of the room whilst Hermione managed to find an empty seat closer to the front. She quickly sat down, not really looking at her surroundings, and pulled out her notes, book and pen.

The Professor clapped his hands to gather attention. "All right class! Now that we are all here, we can talk about what we will be doing." Hermione's cheeks went slightly pink knowing that she was one of the late students. "You will all get into partners and discuss the book and what you both found. You will then submit a one page statement to me by the end of the class discussing any differences or agreements you had about the book with your partner. Please ensure both of your student numbers are at the top of the page. Now get going, you have an hour."

Hermione looked around. Blaise and Draco would obviously partner up and everyone else sitting around her seemed to know at least one other person – unlike herself. She looked around trying to find any other stragglers and could spot a couple of people right at the front that still didn't have partners. Just as she was about to stand up to walk over to them, she felt a warm hand on her shoulder. She flinched slightly at the contact, noting that the hand slid off her shoulder quickly.

"Sorry Hermione, I didn't mean to scare you." A familiar smooth voice said. She quickly turned around to face none other than Tom Smith. He grinned at her reaction.

"Oh! Hello Tom." She smiled at him. "Don't worry, about it." She said, whilst subconsciously rubbing the shoulder he had just touched.

"I notice that you're looking for a partner. Care to work together?" He asked.

"Oh okay, sure." She smiled at him. He quickly stood up and hopped over the row of seats and gracefully sat in the chair next to her.

"So how are you settling in?" He asked conversationally whilst opening his notes.

"Great. I'm really enjoying it. What about you?" She noted how prepared his notes looked and immediately approved of his neat hand writing.

"Oh this is actually my second semester. But I like the university; it feels very familiar to me."

"I know what you mean; it reminds me of the boarding school I went to." Hermione replied.

"Oh really? Where did you go to boarding school?" He asked, staring at her.

"One up in Scotland actually…" She trailed off, hoping that he wouldn't ask too much more. Hermione knew she was a crap liar, the truth was always written right on her forehead.

* * *

Tom watched Hermione with interest. She was very bright and was obviously used to being right almost all of the time. _Well, of course you would be right if all you had were those two dunderheads to hang around_. He turned slightly and could see the two boys who were always with Hermione out of the corner of his eye. He smirked slightly as he noticed the one with black curly hair – _Zabini was it?_ Look up more than once to keep his eye on Hermione. He smirked at the other man and, without Hermione realising, slid his arm across the back of her chair. He covertly looked again and noticed Zabini openly scowling now. Tom took it further and leaned into Hermione and pretended to be particularly interested in whatever Hermione was writing down on their submission. From his position he could smell her and she smelt like flowers. He wasn't sure what type… _maybe roses?_ Whatever it was though, it was extremely pleasant to him. She suddenly looked up at him, not realising their proximity, and looked him in the eyes. She elicited a slight gasp, which he felt go straight to his groin. _Shit! _He was not expecting that to happen. He shifted slightly, effectively creating a distance between them. She blushed and looked back down at their work sheet. He simply smirked.

"So, um, what did you think of the book?" She asked as she opened the book to a page where she had scribbled notes down the margin.

"Well," he smirked. "Who doesn't have a dark side?"

* * *

"Alright everyone! Time's up. Please put your work sheets on my desk at the front and I'll have them back to you by next lesson." The Professor spoke over the noise of the room.

Hermione and Tom packed up their bags and walked down to the front of the class room and handed their work sheet in. They pushed their way out of the classroom with Tom gently putting his hand on Hermione's elbow. They stood outside in the hallway.

"Well, thanks for being my partner." She grinned at him.

"No problem." He smirked. "Say, would you like –"

"Hermione! I am so glad that class is over – what a bore!" Draco loudly exclaimed as he wandered over and leaned on her shoulder. He grinned at Tom. "Oh hello there Dave."

"It's Tom actually." Tom responded with a sudden look of anger on his face.

"Malfoy! Could you be any more rude?" Hermione exclaimed.

"Well… yes, I could." He grinned at her.

"Just stop it will you? Honestly, you just rudely interrupted our conversation." Hermione's face flushed in anger as she gestured between herself and Tom.

"Oh fine! So sorry to interrupt!" Malfoy pouted waving his hands in defeat. "We'll be waiting around the corner for you when you're done with _him_."

"Oh I didn't realise that Hermione needed to be escorted everywhere by the two of you." Tom said rather snidely, nodding his head at Draco and Blaise, who leaned against the hall simply watching the exchange.

"What are you insinuating?" Draco bristled.

Hermione elbowed him. "Bloody hell Malfoy! Just wait over by the end of the hall please?"

"Fine!" Malfoy skulked off and Blaise followed him.

"Sorry about that… Malfoy has a very, um, strong personality…"

"I'm not interested in them." He smirked. "I wanted to see if we could catch up sometime, outside of class, that is."

"Oh!" She looked down and bit her lip. "Um, I don't know." She looked at him. Something flashed briefly in his eyes and his jaw tightened slightly. But as quickly as it was there it disappeared.

"Please Hermione?" He moved closer towards her and took both her hands in his. "I promise you'll have fun."

Hermione felt a spark when his hands took hers. It was a similar feeling to when she cast the perfect spell. His touch tingled right up her arms. _Why shouldn't I say yes? This break was supposed to be about escaping the wizarding world… and what's better than going on a date with a muggle?_

"So when do you want to catch up?" She said, smiling.

"How about you give me your number and I'll call you?"

Hermione gave Tom her phone number and they said their good byes. Tom walked off in the opposite direction confidently whilst Hermione walked over towards Blaise and Draco who were being less than obvious in their spying.

* * *

"There's something about that muggle I don't like." Draco commented as they waited for Hermione.

"Me neither. He's cold." Blaise replied rather angrily.

"I don't like the way he looks at Hermione… Like she's some sort of game or object." Draco replied.

"You know, we don't really have a right to say anything to her…" Blaise conceded.

Draco sighed. "I know. I still think we should keep an eye on him."

"Already one step ahead of you." Blaise replied, looking over because Hermione was approaching them with the most beautiful blush on her face. Blaise sighed at the sight.

* * *

Tom walked towards the train station smirking. _There was something about Hermione Granger_. She absolutely crackled with energy. She was special, he just knew it. Tom felt attracted to her, but then again, Tom was attracted to anything a bit out of the ordinary. _Special_. He grinned. Her only problem was those two lap dogs that followed her around everywhere. That Malfoy was an arrogant tool and he didn't like the way Zabini looked at Hermione. He strolled through the station, not noticing the admiring glances he received from the passing females. Tom quickly boarded a train and sat down. Relaxing, he suddenly realised that he was supposed to go visit his Grandmother for dinner. _Urgh just when I thought my day was going well… I have to go visit that crazy old bat! _Groaning slightly, he tried to concentrate on Hermione Granger and catalogue every moment that occurred between the two of them.

* * *

Kingsley Shacklebolt stood outside the small home on Privet Drive and knocked on the red door. From where he stood he could hear one of those awful small dogs yapping and the water sprinklers in the yard watering the overgrown flower-beds. He heard a shuffle from inside and finally the door cracked open. An elderly woman with grey frizzy hair stood at the entrance and smiled at Kinsgley.

"Ah Mr Shacklebolt, come in, come in." She stood to the side of the entrance way and let the large man into her house. Kingsley tried not to blanch at the smell of dog and dust.

"I trust you find yourself well Mrs Figg?" He greeted.

"Oh yes, but I must admit these eyes don't see as well as they did last time you came." She hobbled into the small cottage-like house. "Cup of tea Mr Shacklebolt?" She slowly walked towards her kitchen.

Kingsley observed the rather grimy appearance of the old woman's home. "No thank you Mrs Figg. I have to admit I'm on limited time, I have a meeting with the muggle Prime Minister in a bit."

"Oh can you let him know I'm not happy with the new legislation on the criminal justice system?" Mrs Figg asked.

"Erm sure." _What the hell is this woman going on about?_

"So I suppose you're here to mainly to discuss Tom?" Mrs Figg replied as she sat herself down on a worn floral recliner chair that was decorated with off-white doilies.

"Yes, of course." Kingsley sat down on a bright pink velvet couch.

"Well Tom stops by to visit once or twice a month. He's started at University – English or History or something along those lines. He's still very cold Mr Shacklebolt. I just don't think that he's normal, but considering the circumstances I suppose that's not surprising. But so far, there is no sign that he believes something is a-miss."

"I can't thank you enough for taking part in this mission Mrs Figg." He commented solemnly.

"I wouldn't be doing this if it weren't for Dumbledore." She replied primly.

"Very well. When is the next time Tom is due to visit?"

"Well, actually, he is supposed to stop by sometime this afternoon but there is no specific time." She said.

"Well I best be off then, we wouldn't want him asking questions as to why I am here visiting you." Kingsley stood up, relieved to not be sitting on the garish pink sofa anymore.

"Thank you for stopping by." She went to get up but Kingsley stopped her.

"Don't you worry yourself Mrs Figg. I'll let myself out." He said jovially.

* * *

After Kinglsey Shacklebolt had left, Mrs Figg remained seated in her faded, floral chair for some time. She slowly rubbed her forehead. Whilst keeping an eye out for Harry Potter was sometimes interesting, this mission was far more risky. Mrs Figg never liked to question Dumbledore but she had a bad feeling that Tom Riddle would eventually start remembering things. She only hoped she would be able to keep the charade up for as long as possible…

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**Woah! There you have Chapter 3! What did you think? ****How about Mrs Figg the Squib being Tom's "Grandmother"?**

**Oh and I just love writing Draco - he's such a little shit and therefore so much fun. Do we think Blaise might be getting a soft spot for Hermione?**

**Just so you know, writing this story so far, I've had Bloc Party's _Silent Alarm_ on non-stop as inspiration to this story.**

**Hopefully I will update again - not sure if it will be as quick... it all depends on how many reviews I get ;)**


	4. Chapter 4

**Okay kiddies, here is Chapter 4...**

**Many thanks to CaBuckeye, darkxangelxreaderx, grrac3, fortheloveofdraco, sweet-tang-honney, mad-about-horses-nd-cowboys, LK_HoGwArTs_hEaDgIrL and nikif for your reviews.**

**Thanks to everyone who has added this as a favourite or alert :)**

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CHAPTER 4

_You know I hate, detest, and can't bear a lie, not because I am straighter than the rest of us, but simply because it appalls me - Joseph Conrad (Heart of Darkness)_

Tom sat on an extremely ugly, hot pink couch at his grandmother's house. The old bat was nattering on about his grandfather – a man who Tom had never met. Apparently he died in an electrical accident in the 1960's.

"Oh and I was so lucky to enjoy that trip to Spain with Roger right before he passed. Did I show you those pictures of Spain Tom?" She pulled out a photo album that seemed to permanently sit beside her old recliner chair.

"Yes Gran, many times." Tom replied, trying not to sound as bored as he felt.

"Oh the holiday was such as lovely time! Your Mother just loved the beach… I had to force her to come back in every night for dinner." She smiled at the memory. Tom tried to will the visit to come to an end. He looked at the old clock above the television. _I've only been here for 20 minutes! _He scowled to himself.

"Yes Gran I know." He replied. He never knew his parents, they both died in a car crash not long after he was born. He had grown up with his Grandmother in this awful house having to listen to her boring stories and eat her overcooked vegetables. Tom leaned back on the ugly couch and sipped the watery tea that she served.

"So Tom, tell me all about your studies. Let's hear about all the wonderful marks you're getting."

"It's going well. I'm really enjoying Literature this semester." He replied smoothly and politely.

"Oh that's just wonderful Tom! Intelligent and handsome… You must have all the girls chasing after you, dear boy." She winked at him.

"Oh I don't know about that Gran." He played along. "I am so busy with my studies."

"You should always make time for love Tom." She playfully admonished.

_Stupid old woman! _Tom thought as she continued on about the importance of _love_. He could tell her about Hermione but he knew that she would want to meet her. And Tom did not want to bring Hermione here. For some reason he wanted Hermione to view him as powerful, which is how he felt in the few times he had been around her. He highly doubted she would get that impression seeing him sitting on this bright pink couch in this awful house. He smirked when he thought of Hermione. He still remembered the jolt of energy he felt when he touched her. It made him feel energised. He pulled himself out of his reverie just as his Grandmother was finishing her usual spiel about love and happiness.

"…and your Mother and Father just loved each other so much." She smiled.

Tom politely smiled again and hoped that this visit would go faster. He wanted to ring Hermione.

* * *

Kingsley slumped down on his office chair. _The muggle prime minister could be so tiring sometimes_. He stretched his arms above his head and then grabbed some paper work that needed signing.

"Ah, Kingsley! Busy day I see!" said Dumbledore from his portrait.

"Ah Dumbledore! Made it over from your Hogwarts portrait I see. I trust Minerva is well."

"That she is Kingsley. I also remember you saying that you were going to visit Mrs Figg. I trust that everything is okay?" He asked.

"Yes, so far nothing to report. The memory charms and obliviate are still in effect. Mrs Figg reports that Tom is still very cold but he hasn't been acting strangely or asking things that would prompt suspicion."

"Ah, very good." Dumbledore replied.

"He was scheduled to visit her this afternoon sometime. I trust she will write as soon as possible, to report to us." Kingsley continued on. "It will also give her a chance to add the monthly memory potion to his system."

"We are lucky to have Mrs Figg." Dumbledore replied solemnly.

* * *

"So I was thinking we should have a mixture of pink and white roses for the bouquets – what do you think 'Mione?" Ginny asked as she flopped down on Hermione's couch.

"Not sure Ginny… hey, do you want some tea?" Hermione asked as she bustled around the kitchen.

"Yes please… Oh I just don't know about any of these colours or themes!" Ginny huffed as she flicked through another wedding magazine. "Can I just say that these muggle wedding magazines are great though – thanks so much for picking them up for me."

"Not a problem." Hermione said as she plopped down on the couch with their cups of tea.

"So! How's university going?" Ginny asked.

"Oh! I haven't even had a chance to tell you yet, have I?" Hermione almost slapped her forehead.

"Tell me what?"

"Well you will never guess who is going to uni with me…" Hermione began.

Ginny perked up. "Oh who? Is it one of those famous muggles in the movie pictures?"

"No. You are never going to believe this, but I turn up to literature on Monday and Draco Malfoy and Blaise Zabini are sitting in my class!"

Ginny almost spat her tea out. "Are you serious? What the hell are they doing in the muggle world?"

"Same reason as me. They wanted to get away from all the attention in the magic world but I guess hanging around in their mansions got boring." Hermione replied.

"Merlin, Harry will have kittens about this! Malfoy deserves all the negative attention they can throw at him!" Ginny replied angrily.

"He's been kind of okay actually. It's actually a bit weird actually. Zabini actually talks to me."

"Zabini is so delicious…" Ginny stated dreamily. "But seriously 'Mione, they are typical Slytherins. You're familiar to them in this big scary world and they could really _use_ that. I bet they were about to go running back to their Mummies, scared stiff, until you turned up in their class."

"Maybe. But it's kind of nice to have familiar faces around you know. Even if it is Malfoy." Hermione shrugged.

"You know, Ron is wondering when you are going to go see him." Ginny prompted.

"_Ronald _can come and see me Gin." Hermione huffed. "He has been nothing but unsupportive of me and my decision to go to uni." She crossed her arms.

"It's because he wants you to be with him… he's crazy about you 'Mione."

"I don't know Gin. I liked him for so long you know. Then when we kissed after the war it just didn't feel right. I just need time to think." Hermione sighed. She suddenly heard the oven timer go off. "Anyway, there's our warning for dinner. Be back in a sec."

Ginny put her concentration back on the wedding magazine. Hermione was so excited about Harry and Ginny's wedding. She walked into the kitchen and turned the oven off. Pulling her oven mits on she pulled the lasagne out. _Looks perfect_, she grinned.

"Hey 'Mione! You should see some of these tiaras! They are absolutely ridiculous." Ginny called from the living room.

The phone suddenly began ringing. "Oh Gin! Can you grab the phone? It's probably just Mum."

"Sure!" She heard Ginny get up and answer the phone. Suddenly she was in the kitchen with a huge smirk on her face. Hermione looked at her questioningly.

"Some guy named Tom wants to talk to you." She grinned at Hermione's expression. _Tom Smith! _Hermione never actually thought that he would call. "We are so talking about this!" Ginny said and handed Hermione the phone.

"Hello?" she felt nervous for some reason.

"Hello Hermione." Tom greeted.

"Um, hi Tom, how are you?" Hermione couldn't help the sudden feel of butterflies that hit her.

"Great thanks. How are you?"

"Oh pretty good. I'm surprised to hear from you actually." She responded.

"Really? I did say I would call though." He sounded rather serious.

"I suppose so. So what can I do for you?" She asked rather brusquely as she pulled a couple of plates out of the cupboard.

"Well maybe I just wanted to hear your voice Hermione." He said smoothly. _He really does have a great voice_. "And I wanted to see what you were doing tomorrow night." He continued.

"Oh, um, nothing actually." Hermione replied.

"Good, because I want to take you out." He asked.

Hermione paused slightly, feeling light flutters in her abdomen. Once she got past the flutters though, she couldn't help but notice that he wasn't asking her, merely _telling _her of his intentions.

Sounding slightly frustrated at her silence he spoke again. "So, what time can I pick you up? Is six okay?"

"Oh, um, okay… yeah I suppose that sounds nice." She conceded. _Merlin Granger! Aren't you supposed to be the brightest witch of your age? Stop sounding like a snivelling nincompoop! _A voice sounding eerily like Malfoy travelled through her head. "So where will we be going?" She asked curiously. She looked up and saw Ginny doing a dance, obviously putting two and two together.

"I was thinking a movie and then drinks and dinner." He replied.

"Sure, that sounds really nice." She smiled.

"Well then I will pick you up at six. What's your address?" Hermione hurriedly gave him the details. "Well, I better let you get back to your friend Ginny. I wouldn't want her to think I'm keeping you both from dinner." He said in that silky voice.

_What I wouldn't give to hear that voice before I went to bed every night!_ Hermione sighed slightly. "Okay, sure, sounds great."

"Excellent. Well I will see you tomorrow then."

"Okay Tom, see you tomorrow."

"Goodnight Hermione." He said in a voice that oozed pure sex and made Hermione's insides clench rather pleasantly.

"Goodnight Tom." She said rather quietly.

After putting the phone on the hook Ginny bounded up to her. "Okay who is Tom Smith?" She asked excitedly.

* * *

Draco had just apparated back to the Manor and hadn't even had a chance to take his coat off before his Mother swept into the room.

"Oh Draco son, I have missed you." She smiled and hugged and kissed him on both cheeks.

"Hello Mother." He replied shucking his coat off and wordlessly handing it to the house Elf who had appeared in the room.

"Darling we must take lunch on the patio; it is such a lovely day." Narcissa said cheerfully as she led him through the house.

Once seated at the small outdoor table Narcissa turned to her sun. "How is university then?" She asked.

"It's okay, not as hard to fit in as I thought." He replied as he watched the Elves bring servings of poached salmon and vegetables out.

"That's good to hear. Though I'm sure having Blaise there helps." Narcissa replied.

"Oh not just Blaise, Mother. You wouldn't believe who is doing the exact same thing as us."

"Do share." She replied, a hint of curiosity in her normally cool blue eyes.

"Hermione Granger." He drawled and watched Narcissa's expression change from mild curiosity to shock.

"Granger?" She replied in the most un-lady-like manner he had heard her speak in.

"Yes. Apparently the attention was getting too much for her as well. She decided to take a break from being part of the _Golden Trio_." Draco shared.

"Oh. So are you being friendly towards her?" Narcissa had her careful expression back on her face.

"Well yes. It's strange actually. I know Father wouldn't approve." Draco replied thoughtfully.

"Yes, well, your Father isn't here to give his opinion is he?" Narcissa replied bitterly.

"Sorry Mother." Draco looked down and picked at his lunch.

"No Draco, don't you dare apologise. I try not to blame your Father too much but here I am, alone." She looked towards the vast grounds of the Manor. She smiled sardonically at him. "It's hard not to sometimes." Draco simply nodded; he couldn't say that he missed his Father's somewhat large shadow.

They continued eating in silence for some time before Narcissa spoke up. "So you think you are making friends with the Granger girl?"

"It's a bit soon Mother. But so far we have some kind of truce. She's not as bad as what I used to think, to be honest. She seems to get along quite well with Blaise."

"I am going to encourage your friendship Draco. In fact I want you to work on building some kind of friendship with Miss Granger." She locked eyes with him. "You being friends with Miss Granger would look well on our family Draco. We need to repair our reputation and young women like Miss Granger are the future of the wizarding world – whether your father likes it or not." She sniffed.

"Mother… I was going to try and become friends with Granger anyway." Draco replied quietly. He had to admire his mother though. _Ever the Slytherin, _Draco mused.

"Very good. Then it shouldn't be too difficult if you are being genuine." She responded and took a bite of her salmon. "By the way, I've decided to redecorate." She said quietly.

"But Mother – "

"No buts Draco. The Malfoys need a new beginning. I need something to pass my time anyway, considering my Husband may as well be dead." She replied rather coldly.

Draco frowned at what his family had become.

* * *

Arriving back at his flat after a rather depressing lunch with his Mother, Draco walked into the living room. Sitting there watching a dvd was Blaise.

"What are you watching?" Draco asked as he plopped down in the couch beside him.

"Apocalypse Now… apparently it is based on that Heart of Darkness book we read." Blaise drawled.

Draco quirked an eyebrow at him. "And how did you find this out?"

"Hermione mentioned it the other day." Blaise replied.

"Oh, so its _Hermione _now, is it?"

"Sod off Draco." Blaise rolled his eyes.

Draco simply chuckled. "I'm not an idiot Blaise, I can see the way you look at her."

"What are you going on about? I don't 'look' at her or whatever you are insinuating." Blaise now had his full attention on Draco.

"Okay Blaise, whatever you say. It's nothing to be ashamed of. She's a hot witch." Draco said. To further provoke Blaise he spoke further. "I would totally fuck her." _Bingo! _Draco thought happily as Blaise's face turned murderous.

"Don't talk about her like that!" His eyes blazed furiously and a red sheen appeared on his olive cheeks.

_That's all I needed to know. _"Calm down mate, you know I'm only kidding." Draco soothed the fiery Italian.

* * *

_The room was dark and rank, mould covering the walls barely visible by lit torches. He walked down the corridor. Whilst he had never been here before he wasn't afraid, he simply felt the compulsion to keep moving forward. The corridor opened into a circular room. He heard it before he saw it. Faint hissing coiled around him. He looked to his left and a snake appeared, slithering beside him. It's body lightly touching his fingers, the scales smooth under his touch. He looked to where the snake was headed and he saw __**her **__lying on the ground. He tried to move forward but something stopped his legs from moving. The snake hissed._

"_Liesssssssssssss, liessssssssssssssss, liesssssssssssssssssssss." It said as it circled the girl, its flickering tongue tasting the girl._

"_Lies?" he questioned._

"_Liessssssssssssss." It hissed again. It looked at the girl and then turned to him. "But let me present the truth!"_

Tom woke with a start. Sheets twisted around his torso and he had the unpleasant feeling of falling out of bed. He pulled his pillow into a more comfortable position. _Well that was the strangest dream I've had since I can remember._ He thought, unsettled at the mental image of a snake curling around Hermione and speaking to him.

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**So there you have it...**

**What do we all think of Kingsley, Mrs Figg and Dumbledore? Risky, _non? _**

**And how about Tom's dream!**

**Please give your reviews, I am happy to take all of it on! To place threats (lol), I will update sooner with the more reviews that spur me on ;)**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hello lovely people! Welcome to Ch5!**

**Thanks to Crazy4beverages, sweet-tang-honey, LK_HoGwArTs_hEaDgIrL, puppyeyes2003, YearOfJudges, Sammie_Lupin, Sheridan_Malfoy_Potter, jaspersluv1863, CaBuckeye for all of your reviews.**

**Thank you all to have added this as a favourite or alert...**

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CHAPTER 5

_You're so gorgeous I'll do anything / I'll kiss you from your feet / To where your head begins / You're so perfect / You're so right as rain / You make me / Make me hungry again / Everything you do is irresistible / Everything you do is simply kissable / Why can't I be you? - The Cure (Why Can't I Be You?)_

Hermione rushed around her flat trying to get ready. If Tom was punctual, she had five minutes to get an outfit together and make up on. _Shit! _Hermione huffed. If only she didn't get caught up reading that unauthorised biography on Professor Snape. Rita Skeeter was doing a whole series on Order of the Pheonix members. Apparently Sirius Black was next. Whilst Hermione detested Skeeter, reading about Snape was comforting for her. She wished for the simple days of Hogwarts where her biggest fear was Snape calling her an _'insufferable know-it-all' _and embarrassing her in front of the potions class. Slowly running a hand through her hair she wondered what it would be like if Dumbledore and Snape survived the war.

Pulling on a pair of black skinny jeans she couldn't miss the jagged scar that ran diagonally across her stomach and finished under her breasts. Dolohov had gotten her good that night at the Department of Mysteries many years ago… when they could finally prove that _he _was back. St Mungos staff told her that she was lucky to still be able to have children after such a dark curse hitting her where it did. She walked over to her wardrobe slowly running her fingers across the scar, feeling the rise and fall of it on her otherwise smooth stomach. Opening the wardrobe she pulled out a deep purple silk tank with a slight ruffle around the v-shaped neckline. She then ran into the bathroom and appraised her appearance. Hermione didn't want to go too overboard and quickly pulled her wand out and smoother her hair, added mascara, blush and a little lip gloss. _Thank you Lavender_, she thought when waving the wand over her face. Lavender had taught her the spell whilst having a girls night in one time in fourth year. _When life was still relatively simple_, she mused.

She was organising her clutch bag when she heard a knock on the door. "Coming!" She yelled as she walked down the small hallway towards the front door. Opening the door she stood face-to-face with one of the most handsome men she had ever seen. She felt her stomach coil at the sight of him.

"Hermione. You look beautiful." He said smoothly, whilst leaning against the wall outside her flat.

She barely registered his compliment because she was so taken by him. He stood there in dark indigo jeans, a white oxford button up shirt and black boots. His skin was porcelain white against his shirt but it didn't wash him out at all. He made something so simple look like the most attractive outfit she had ever seen. She suddenly realised that she was just standing there staring at him.

"Oh, come in! I still need to put my boots on." She said, stepping out of the door way. He stepped past her and walked into her place. She couldn't help but notice how nice he smelt. _A mixture between soap and bergamot_.

"The movie starts in about half an hour." He said conversationally. She quickly hid a moving photo of Harry and Ginny as he walked into her lounge-room. _Lucky that's the only one in this part of the house,_ she mused whilst casting a disillusionment spell on the books she had sitting on her sofa.

"Okay, well I'll just go grab my boots and we can head off." She said and ran off to her room whilst Tom looked around her lounge-room curiously.

* * *

Tom felt right at home at as he looked around Hermione's flat. It was obvious that she took care of her possessions and Tom appreciated people who looked after their things. _She looks beautiful, of course_. _Hair bouncing everywhere and in those tight jeans._ He looked at a book on her sofa and noticed she was reading the Prince by Machiavelli. _Smart, too_. He looked up as she re-entered the room carrying a pair of flat knee high boots. She flopped down on the couch and started putting them on.

"So, what are we seeing at the movies?" She asked, looking up at him as she struggled to pull her boots on.

"It's a surprise." He grinned and chuckled slightly at the dark look she gave to her unco-operative boots. "You know, glaring at them won't make them do what you want them to do." He stood there confidently, hands in pockets, watching her.

"You'll see…" and with another grunt the boots were on. "See, told you so!" She grinned triumphantly at him.

"That, my dear, looked more like hard work than dirty looks." He grinned and held out his hand to help her off the couch. She smiled at him and gently took his hand. Tom noticed the slight blush in her cheeks as she took his hand and smirked. That delicious feeling surged through his hand as she touched it. _Why does she make me feel this way? Like I could do anything?_

He didn't let go of her hand until they sat down at the cinema. She didn't complain.

* * *

"That movie was ridiculous Tom!" Hermione exclaimed as they left the cinema. "I mean aliens… really!" She laughed.

Tom made a noise similar to a _hurumph_. "What is so _ridiculous _about that?" He grumbled, upset that she didn't seem to like his choice of movie.

She looked at him and then laughed. "Oh don't be offended Tom!" She grabbed his hand and gave him a quick side-long glance, noting the cute little frown line that appeared between his eyebrows. "It will surely go down as my favourite comedy of the year." She laughed again as his lips quirked slightly, before moving back to his previous expression.

"I thought it was quite believable." He responded imperiously. "I think that it's quite possible that aliens exist. And it was a d_rama_, not a comedy Hermione."

Hermione simply giggled. "Okay, okay..." She smiled and took his hand in hers, giving him an apologetic smile. "So where are you taking me for dinner?" She changed topic, noting how easily his hand gripped onto hers.

"Have you ever heard of Firefly?" He asked.

"No actually. What's it like?"

"You haven't heard of Firefly?" He asked, almost incredulously.

"I guess you could say I've been living under a rock for the last couple of years." She smiled with a twinge of sadness in her eyes.

Tom looked at her questioningly, as if understanding the double meaning of her words. She hastily responded. "I mean, I was so busy with my studies in Scotland I haven't really gotten back into the swing of things in London yet."

"Sure." He smiled, deciding not to question her further about what he had picked up on. "Well I hope you like it, then."

* * *

After her second mojito, Hermione felt slightly giddy. _Cheap drunk! _She scolded herself. With this newfound confidence she grinned at Tom, noting that he was carefully watching her with interest. _This one is an observer_, she mused.

"So Hermione Granger…" He began, and took another sip of his whiskey.

_Mm, he has the nicest lips._ "Yes Tom Smith?" She replied.

"Tell me about yourself."

"Well I really must say that it's not that fascinating. I grew up near London. My parents are dentists and at 11 I was accepted into an exclusive boarding school in Scotland. I finished that last year and decided to go to University." She gave her stock-standard _muggle _response. "Since my life is so boring, tell me about yours." Effectively deflecting the conversation off herself.

"I'm sure your life isn't as boring as what you make it out to be." He responded. Hermione simply smirked. "Well I grew up just outside of London too. Since I can remember I have lived with my Grandmother, as my parents passed away when I was a baby."

"Oh I'm sorry." Hermione politely interrupted, giving him a sympathetic look.

"It's okay. I don't remember them to be honest, my Grandmother raised me. I started at uni last semester and moved into London and am enjoying it. I guess you could say my life is as boring as yours." He teased.

"I guess we are just two boring people then." She responded, grinning at him.

"Yes, well, lucky we are being boring together and not inflicting it on others." He smirked.

Hermione laughed. She was really enjoying herself with Tom. He was smart and witty and could keep up with her. Not that she was being conceited but her humour often left Ron and Harry staring at her blankly. _If only he was a wizard_. She thought without pre-empt. _Don't be ridiculous! _She scolded herself. _You don't need to be with a wizard. There is nothing wrong with dating a Muggle! Not that we are officially dating… _She reminded herself and blushed slightly. She decided to put those thoughts to the back of her mind. _Chill out Hermione! It's one date! Just enjoy it and stop planning moving in with him!_

"What are you thinking about that's causing you to blush?" He asked, pulling her out of her thoughts.

"Oh! Nothing important." She waved a hand in the air. Hermione felt a little embarrassed that he was so perceptive.

"Really? That's not what it looked like." He replied lightly tracing a long finger around the top of his glass. She felt a foreign twinge of excitement in her belly at the sight. He watched her with an indecipherable look. Before she could make up an excuse they were suddenly interrupted.

"Tom!" said a rather high pitched voice. Hermione turned to look to see where the voice came from. A woman with bleached blonde hair and the most giant breasts Hermione had ever seen approached them. _Merlin! Why is her skin so orange?_ Hermione looked to Tom questioningly who looked like he had swallowed a snitch.

"How are you lovely?" She tittered as she bent down and hugged him. Hermione arched an eyebrow. _Who is this woman?_

"Marlene. Fancy seeing you here." He replied, which Hermione noted, was in a rather short tone.

"Oh I'm out with the girls! When I saw you I just had to come over and say hello." She replied brightly. "You haven't called in a while and I wondered what you were up to?" She ran a finger along Tom's shoulder. She suddenly looked at Hermione, a triumphant look on her orange face. Hermione may have been a virgin, but it didn't take Merlin to work out how these two had been acquainted.

"I've been very busy." Tom responded, looking annoyed. Hermione simply looked down at her food. "Marlene, this is my date Hermione. Hermione this is an old, uh… this is Marlene." He replied, in a rather uncomfortable, uncharacteristic tone.

Hermione looked back up at the woman and gave a thin smile. "Nice to meet you." She nodded politely at the woman.

Marlene looked at the two of them and practically sneered at Hermione. "Charmed, I'm sure."

_What a dumb cow! _Hermione thought crossly. She suddenly looked at Tom, smirking at his uncomfortable expression. She was going to have a bit of fun with this. "So Marlene, how do you know Tom?" She asked, with an innocent expression on her face. Tom blanched.

The woman smirked at Hermione. "Oh, we go way _back_, don't we Tom?" Tom simply looked rather coldly back at Marlene.

"Really?" Hermione said in a bright tone. "I guessed as much, considering I highly doubt you would have met at _Oxford_." She added in mock-innocence. Tom's head snapped up at Hermione and a slight grin ghosted his features as he realised Hermione wasn't being innocent about her questioning.

Marlene had a rather pinched expression on her face. "Well, Tom." It was nice seeing you again. "Do call when you get bored." She sniffed and looked Hermione up and down.

"You do mean, when _I_ get bored, don't you?" Hermione responded imperiously to the woman. Tom almost choked on his drink.

"Whatever!" Marlene replied unintelligently before storming off. Hermione smirked to herself. _Who does she think she is exactly? I managed to help defeat Voldemort for crying out loud! _Hermione huffed.

"I'm sorry about that." Tom interrupted Hermione's mental cheer squad.

She looked at him and noticed how tense he looked. "Don't worry about it. I've met worse." Hermione waved a hand in the air casually.

He suddenly reached across the table and grabbed Hermione's hand. "I really hope you didn't mean what you said before…" He said quietly, locking eyes with her and running those long fingers across her knuckles, making her shiver.

She was momentarily speechless at the heated look in his eyes. "What did I say?" She fumbled, losing all of her earlier confidence.

"That you'd get bored with me." He replied, bringing her hand to his lips and lightly brushing them against her knuckles. Hermione felt a surge of heat course through her at his rather intimate gesture.

_Get yourself together Hermione! _She scolded. She wondered how he managed to do that to her. Hermione was normally a no-nonsense kind of girl who was never one to turn into a pile of mush at male attention. _It doesn't help that he is sinfully handsome_, she sighed as she looked into his deep green eyes. She needed to change the atmosphere before she jumped over the table and snogged him senseless.

"Remember that we are two boring people thrown together?" Hermione grinned. He simply smirked at her, but at his body relaxing visibly, her grin got wider.

* * *

Tom escorted Hermione back to her flat. Despite the interruption of Marlene, he thought the date went pretty well. _Stupid bint!_ He scowled to himself, thinking of Marlene's interruption during dinner. He was almost regretful at screwing her. If he knew it might come back to haunt him whilst being with Hermione he wouldn't have even touched the chit with a ten foot pole in the first place.

He looked at Hermione walking beside him and felt a sudden rush of possessiveness flow through his body. He wanted, no needed, to know everything about her. He didn't understand why he felt this way… It wasn't normal to feel so drawn to someone so quickly, he knew that much. As he was watching her, she turned and looked at him and gave a shy smile. Her personality confused him; one minute she was opinionated and brave, the next she seemed almost cautious and guarded in her expressions. Tom had a feeling her life wasn't as boring as she made it out to be. The look she got in her eyes sometimes made him sure of it, as his strong observational skills deduced that whilst she might be able to lie, her eyes couldn't.

They reached her front door and he took both her hands in his. She looked up at him. "Well, here we are." She gestured slightly.

"Yes, here we are." He smirked at her, revelling in the feeling that coursed through him whenever he touched her.

"Thanks for tonight. I had a really great time." She looked up at him and he stepped closer towards her.

"It was my pleasure." He replied smoothly, watching her expression change slightly as he stepped closer towards her. "Can I see you again?" He whispered.

"S-sure." She seemed to choke out. He smirked at her, she was obviously not as confident whenever they were in close proximity.

"I'm glad." He decided to take a liberty and snaked his arms around her waist. He heard a slight gasp emit from her lips. "I'm glad because I really enjoy your company Hermione."

He smirked confidently and leant down, searching her brown eyes for any opposition. When he saw none, he carefully brushed his lips against her cheek. Feeling the heat of her skin spurred him on and he lightly pressed his lips against hers. She sighed quietly and he deepened the kiss, pulling her even closer towards him. He couldn't describe the feelings coursing through him as he kissed her. It was like something crackled around them frantically, a strange surge pulsed through him begging to be released. She moaned softly as he sucked softly on her bottom lip. She slowly wound her hands around his neck and brushed her fingers through his dark hair. He moaned in response to her touch.

She eventually pulled away from his kiss and looked up at him. "I should probably get to bed - lot's of study to do and all that." She said quietly. "Um, thank you, for everything." She grinned at him.

"Thanks for coming." He replied, running his index finger down her cheek.

"S'okay." She smiled shyly and ducked out of his embrace. "See you in class." She replied, unlocking her door. "Goodnight Tom."

He ducked down and quickly kissed her. "Goodnight Hermione." He said softly.

* * *

**A liiiiiitttttttttllllleee soppy at the end, I know! BUT even bad boys can enjoy a bit of a kiss (MWAHAHAHA).**

**And I know I dedicated a WHOLE chapter to their date, but the word count was getting ridiculously high for my chapter sizes so I have plenty of action planned over the next couple of chapters - luckily for all of you :)**

**So to clarify Tom's personality in my story. Admittedly, he isn't as evil as some may expect - _just yet_. 'Just yet' being the key term. You see, I believe that without having magic Tom is merely just a manipulative personality who is looking out for himself... he is also a young man who is part of what is considered a 'normal' society. He is above being a petty criminal and too intelligent as well. The memory potions tell him that, despite the death of his 'parents', he had a pretty regular childhood... so there is nothing environmental or psychological causing him to think about rebelling. **

**He is putting Hermione on a pedestal because he can essentially sense her magic (though he doesn't realise it is magic he can sense). I took this inspiration from the value that Tom put on the objects he eventually turned into Horcruxes. Tom Riddle was obsessed with possessing powerful objects. This Tom can sense something special about Hermione and wants to possess it. What can I say? Hermione is a powerful witch!**

**Coming up in the next chapter:**

**More Tom/Hermione action**

**An appearance by Blaise and Draco... yay! love writing those two :)**

**Thanks for reading... I will try to update as soon as possible. Like I have said previously, the reviews really spur me on to continue writing this - so keep 'em coming! **


	6. Chapter 6

**Hello all and welcome to chapter 6! This is the longest one I have written so far...**

**CGinny, mad-bout-horses-nd-cowboys, sweet-tang-honey, LK_HoGwArTs_hEaDgIrL, jaspersluv1863, nikif, LeahHeartsEdward, ilovefireyredheads ... Thank you all for your amazing reviews! Also thank you to all who have added this as a favourite or have it on alert :)**

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CHAPTER SIX

_Hold it down boy, your head's getting blurred / I know you can't stop thinking of her / By all means you can vibe with this girl / But just don't mug yourself, that's all don't mug yourself - The Streets (Don't Mug Yourself)_

Hermione and Blaise were studying in the library, with Hermione enjoying Blaise's quiet companionship without the normally boisterous – well Hermione _was _being polite – Draco in attendance. Although, she noted, it _was _strange that Draco wasn't here bothering the two of them.

"Merlin! I can't believe we already have a major test!" Blaise complained, rather loudly, as he flicked through another page of notes he had taken, comparing them to Hermione's.

"Speaking of studying, where's Draco? He has the same tests as us yet seems to avoid studying like the plague." Hermione asked as she looked up from the book she was reading.

"Oh he said something about not needing to study." Blaise responded.

"What? Everyone needs to study. Especially him, considering he didn't even grow up with this material." Hermione exclaimed.

"Yeah, well that's what I told him. But he said something about one of those computer things. Apparently if you tell the computer the name of the book it will bring you back all these answers about it." Blaise explained.

Hermione simply looked at him and then suddenly groaned, rubbing her forehead. "Oh I should have known…" Hermione muttered.

"What's the matter? Admittedly if I hadn't already read the books I would have thought to do the same thing." Blaise looked at her.

"It's cheating!" Hermione replied indignantly.

Blaise noticed that her hair was growing wilder as she got angrier, something which he turned him on immensely. "Well… I'm sure he'll be fine." Blaise placated.

"No Blaise, you don't understand! The university actually has technology – or magic, if you will – that can tell if the explanations or thoughts you give in a test or assignment aren't yours. It's plagiarism!" Hermione exclaimed.

"Are you sure?" Blaise asked, his eyebrows furrowing.

"Yes! And if someone is caught plagiarising someone _else's _work, the University has grounds to expel them!" Hermione explained.

"Oh no… trust Draco to immediately find the most illegal way of studying…" Blaise muttered, whilst rolling his eyes. "I am going to have to talk to him, aren't I?" He reluctantly added.

Hermione arched an eyebrow at Blaise. "Of course you are. That said if I see the little ferret I will give him a piece of my mind, too." She said, rather imperiously.

Blaise smirked at Hermione, a teasing glint suddenly appearing in his indigo eyes. "Are you sure you'd be happy to get off your high-horse to do the honour?" He questioned, enjoying watching her cheeks flush suddenly at his teasing.

Hermione made a huffing noise at his comment and leaned back in her chair crossing her arms, looking cross. "I'm only trying to help!" She said, angrily looking away from Blaise and his annoying expression. _He is cute when he is being snarky though…_ She suddenly thought, and then felt slightly guilty. Here she was, thinking about Blaise when she had already snogged Tom Smith just the other day. She sighed when she thought of Tom and the way he had kissed her. She couldn't wait to see him again. But Blaise was a nice distraction for the time being… _not to mention an actual wizard_, her mind automatically ticked off. There it was again, she noted. She knew she had thought about Tom being a muggle – and whether she could seriously date him because of it – very briefly on their date the other night. After everything she had fought for in the war, was she suddenly being prejudiced because he didn't have magic capabilities? Hermione tried to placate her traitorous thoughts by telling herself that she had just always envisioned that her first _serious_ relationship (Victor Krum did not make her _serious _list) would be with a wizard – heritage not withstanding. She tried to ignore the part of her mind that told her that she had once wished it would have been Ron Weasley. _Like that will ever happen now! _She almost snorted to herself. She was startled out of her thoughts by Blaise's laughter.

"Hermione, what's on your mind where you're making all those funny noises over there?" He chuckled at her expression and she again admired how handsome he was. His hair was slightly longer than what it was at Hogwarts, with it sitting messily just above his eyes now. His smooth, olive skin complimented his high cheek bones and indigo eyes. Not to mention that even sitting down he seemed to tower over Hermione. He really was the epitome of a tall, dark and handsome Italian, Hermione mused.

"Oh nothing. I was just imagining torturing Draco." She sighed.

"Why would you want to torture me Granger?" Said a voice approaching the table.

Hermione almost jumped in the air with fright. "_Bloody hell! _Don't sneak up on us like that!" She exclaimed, eyes wide.

"I didn't 'sneak up' on you at all Granger." Malfoy huffed as he flopped down in chair at their table. "Anyway, back to the real point, why do you want to torture me? Which, by the way, is very un-gryffindork of you." He smirked.

"Blaise told me how you are _studying _for our tests." She said accusingly, crossing her arms across her chest. "You do realise that you are being extremely unethical." She narrowed her eyes at him.

"Unethical? What on earth are you talking about?" He asked, sounding surprised. "Just because I have found an easier way of getting the answers doesn't mean I am being unethical… just smarter!" He nodded to himself.

"Draco." Blaise began, "Apparently what you are doing is actually stealing other people's ideas... Plagiarism right, Hermione?" He asked, looking at the witch across from him.

Hermione nodded her head firmly. "Yes and the university has ways of testing work and can tell when you have plagiarised something. You could be expelled!" She exclaimed noting how his coolly schooled features suddenly became worried.

"What are you talking about?" He spluttered.

"What I am saying is – " Before Hermione could begin one of her infamous lectures, Blaise cut in.

"What Hermione is trying to say Draco, is that Muggles consider what you are doing as cheating." He explained in a simplified manner.

"Oh." Was Draco's response and he furrowed his eyebrows. "Does that mean I actually have to read those books?" Draco furrowed his eyebrows in contemplation.

"Yes, it does." Hermione responded.

"Urgh!" Draco grimaced. "But they are so boring!"

"Oh stop being so dramatic. If you are good and prove that you have read the book I _might_ let you have a copy of my notes." She responded haughtily. Draco merely rolled his eyes and Blaise sniggered.

"Only a week until this test and I have to read two of them and then come up with my own theories on them?" Draco questioned as he lightly tapped his fingers on the desk top.

"Well you really only have yourself to blame, you know." Hermione sniffed.

He glared at her. "I don't need your commentary Granger."

Hermione simply rolled her eyes at him. "Just pointing it out." Draco looked even angrier at her baiting.

"Now, now children. Let's not fight." Blaise spoke up, smirking at the two of them. "Draco, you have to admit Hermione has a point. And Hermione, don't be so hard on Draco – it's his marks in the end you know."

The two of them huffed before Draco let his head hit the desk. "I am going to fail! I have never theorised anything muggle in my life!" He complained. "At least Blaise once had a muggle step dad." He whined.

Blaise scoffed. "Firstly, he was my Mum's boyfriend – therefore not a step dad – and they only dated for a couple of months. I wouldn't say I exactly have an advantage!"

"Oh honestly you two!" Hermione scolded the two wizards. "It's not like it's hard. Although I do know of a book that might help…"

"Of course you know of a book." Draco replied sarcastically, rolling his eyes.

Hermione glared at him. "Do you want my help or not?"

Draco pouted at her, before responding. "Of course I want your help. I don't want to fail."

"Great. Well I saw this book in the library the other day and it helps you write about your own theories. It won't give you an answer but it will help you structure your responses…" She trailed off, watching Draco's eyes glaze over.

"Okay, okay go get this book for me then." Draco replied with a flick of his hand. Hermione raised an eyebrow at his response. Draco huffed at her. "Please?" He added.

Hermione smirked at him. "Thank you, Draco. I'll be right back." She jumped up from her seat and scurried off to the shelves.

Blaise sniggered at Draco's expression after she left. Draco turned and looked at his friend. "Oh good luck with that one Zabini, she'll have you greying by 25 with all that nagging." He huffed.

* * *

Hermione walked quickly through the book shelves to where she had last spotted the book for Draco. _I can't believe I am helping Draco Malfoy of all people! _She thought, exasperatingly. She wondered how she found herself in these situations. If you had asked her a year ago if she'd be helping Malfoy study, she would have laughed so hard and then asked if Snape was about to can-can into the room too.

She finally found the section she was after and skidded to a halt. Turning her attention to the book titles, she carefully picked her way through the titles on the over-crowded shelves, biting her bottom lip in concentration. _Practical Use of English, Understanding Theories, English for Dummies, a Students Companion for Essay Writing_…. No, no, no… _A-ha!_

"_Critical Thinking for Students: Learn the Skills for Analysing, Evaluating and Producing Arguments_…" She breathed as she pulled the book out and eyed it appreciatively. This was the book she was after. Hopefully it would help Draco embrace his inner muggle. _Hehe! Draco embracing his inner Muggle! If only Voldemort could see one of his supposed followers now! _She snorted at her inner monologue.

"What's so funny?" She heard a familiar, smooth voice behind her. Jumping slightly at the proximity of the voice she turned around to face Tom.

"Oh!" She exhaled in shock; bringing a hand to her throat, "You scared me!" _What was with people sneaking up on me today? First Draco and now Tom… _

"Sorry." He said, but looked anything but. "I was just popping in to pick up a book and noticed you over here…" He smirked.

"Oh…" She responded, her heart returning to its normal pace. Although it quickly sped up again as he took a step even closer towards her.

"Oh?" He asked, grinning at her. "I was hoping to see you anyway." He continued when she didn't respond. "I was wondering when I could see you again."

"Well, you are looking at me right now…" She replied smugly.

He arched an eyebrow. "Very much so…" At that, he looked her up and down, causing Hermione's stomach to clench pleasantly at his close attention. "And I do really like what I see." He reached out and lightly grabbed the hand Hermione still held close to her collarbone. Taking her hand in both of his and gently inspecting it, he ran his fingers over her knuckles. Hermione couldn't help but feel the electricity surge between them. He suddenly looked up from inspecting her hand, his shocking green eyes boring into hers.

"Do you want to get a coffee with me now?" He asked.

Hermione could only stare back at him. How could someone's eyes say so much, yet so little at the same time? _Talk Hermione! _ "Okay. Let me just take this book over to Draco and Blaise and we'll go." She finally responded, pulling herself away from his intense gaze.

Tom stiffened slightly at the mention of the other two men. "You're with _them_?" He asked - an unreadable expression on his face.

Hermione didn't really know what to make of that statement. "Yes, we're studying." She shrugged.

"Were you actually that close with them in school?" He asked.

Hermione snorted inelegantly. "No." Tom's eyebrows rose in surprise. "Draco and I were pretty much what you could have called arch-enemies. I never actually spoke to Blaise once in school. He always stuck to Sly- his friends." She corrected herself right at the very end – blushing that she almost mentioned Slytherin house.

"So why do they hang around you like a bad smell?" He asked coolly. Hermione was relieved that he didn't seem to pick up on her slight slip up that she didn't pay much mind to his cold tone.

Hermione was silent for a minute, trying to create an answer. "I don't know, to be honest. I guess because despite our differences we're all familiar to one-another. Um, Draco and Blaise are from a very different world to us."

"You mean _spoilt _and _rich_?" He asked. Hermione wasn't sure if she liked his tone of voice, it sounded slightly petulant.

She laughed nervously. "Especially Draco; his family is incredibly wealthy. Blaise comes from Italy so I have no idea about his family but I assume they are similar considering they grew up together and moved in the same social circles."

She heard Tom scoff slightly at her response. _Was he jealous? Of Draco and Blaise? _Well, she probably shouldn't mention that she did find Blaise rather good looking… but ferret boy? Hah! If only Harry and Ron were here. Well maybe just Harry. The way Ron had been acting lately, she'd think Ron would probably be worse than Tom about Hermione hanging around with 'those gits', as he often liked to call them.

* * *

Hermione led the way back to her table with Tom trailing closely behind her. When she reached it both boys were silently pouring over the class notes.

"Hermione! You're back; I thought the books had swallowed you whole for a minute." Draco said whilst looking up at her. He noticed Tom straight away, standing behind Hermione. "Oh, hello Tim." He said, he said in a mock-friendly manner.

"Draco! How many times do I have to tell you that it's Tom!" Hermione scolded him whilst passing him the book she had found for him. She noted that if looks could kill Draco would be dead and bloody by now, judging by Tom's expression.

"Oh yes… sorry Hermione. I keep forgetting." Draco replied in what Hermione recognised as a rather poor attempt at an apology and smirked at Tom.

"It really doesn't matter, let's get going." Tom replied, giving Draco a cold look.

"You're leaving?" Blaise suddenly spoke up, looking at Hermione.

"Yes, Hermione and I are going to grab a coffee together." Tom smoothly cut in, eyes glinting snidely at Blaise, before Hermione could even answer.

Hermione, slightly miffed that someone else had answered for her, noted Blaise's expression looked almost disappointed. "Yeah, sorry Blaise. I promise we can go over those notes at a later time." She replied apologetically whilst packing her books away.

"I'll call you tonight if that's alright." Blaise responded, looking at Hermione.

She felt Tom tense beside her. "Okay. Give me a call tonight and we'll work something out." She smiled at them and turned to face Tom. "Okay, you owe me a coffee." She said eager to get him away from what was becoming an extremely awkward situation.

Tom smirked and then, with a very smug look at Blaise, took Hermione's hand possessively and led her away.

* * *

"I _really_ don't like him." Blaise muttered darkly as he watched Hermione walk off hand in hand with Tom Smith.

"You only hate him because he's all over Hermione." Draco said rather pleasantly. "I, personally, dislike him for much less superficial reasons."

Blaise scoffed. "You? Not being superficial? Yeah, and I'm about to go and have tea and biscuits with Hagrid."

"Better watch out Blaise, your wannabe girlfriend is all cuddly with Hagrid." Draco snickered.

"Regardless of Hagrid… that guy just gives me the creeps. Have you seen the way he looks at her? Why doesn't she see it?" Blaise asked indignantly.

"Um Blaise, she has been putting up with the likes of Potty and Weaselbee for how long? She has no idea how gentlemen are supposed to be. All of this well-rehearsed chivalry probably has her writing in her little diary every night!"

"Yeah, well I'll be watching him." Blaise said quietly.

* * *

As they walked quietly towards the small campus coffee shop Hermione remained quiet. She was a bit shocked and annoyed by Tom's behaviour towards Blaise and Draco before. _Not that those two are completely innocent either, _she thought.

"Why are you being so quiet?" Tom gave her a sideways glance as they walked.

"Oh, just thinking." She shrugged.

"Are you mad at me about before?" He stopped them from walking and made her face him.

"You don't need to speak for me you know." She blurted out, irritated.

Tom's eyebrows rose in surprise. "Oh that? That's what you're upset about?"

Hermione huffed. "Why wouldn't I be upset? This isn't the 1950s you know! I can answer questions on my own and I don't need you to make it some sort of pissing contest." Hermione felt her cheeks flush as she got angrier.

Tom huffed. "What was I supposed to do? Let them talk to me like that and get away with it?" He clenched his jaw in frustration. "Just because _you _don't like your precious boyfriends having _their _toes stepped on?" He sneered.

Hermione was gobsmacked at the bitterness of his tone. She stood there staring at him, trying to collect her thoughts and formulate a response. Was she being too protective of Draco and Blaise? She had years of dealing with Draco at Hogwarts to not get too miffed at his often petty comments. Blaise, was, well _Blaise_. He was certainly well known at Hogwarts for not giving two knuts to what others thought.

"Tom, look-" She tried to begin, but he interrupted.

"Going to tell me that I'm over-reacting Hermione? What? Are you going to stick up for those arrogant prats now that they show you a little bit of kindness? Well it's certainly convenient if you share your class notes isn't it?" He said maliciously.

"You don't know anything." She said quietly, looking away.

"I don't, do I? Tell me Hermione… do you think that Zabini would look at you the way he does if you weren't the only familiar thing to him at this time?" He narrowed his eyes at her. "I think I do _know something_ Hermione. I've met pricks like this before and _they _would never truly appreciate how valuable you are."

Her head snapped up. "Oh and I suppose youdo?" She sneered. "Well thank you _very much_ for your concern but I think I can handle myself! Certainly wouldn't want you pitying or spending your time with a loser!" She snarled in his face and went to storm off, absolutely furious at the way he had just spoken to her.

He tried to grab her hand as she began walk away. "Hermione, wait, I-" He tried to speak but Hermione interrupted before he had a chance to do so.

"Oh sod off, Tom Smith!" She seethed, wrenching her arm free and storming off – not looking back at him once.

* * *

Hermione stomped angrily back to her apartment; too furious to bother apparating, she took the walk to relish in her absolute fury at Tom Smith. She replayed their argument over and over in her head; his stinging words causing white hot embarrassment to run through her every single time. She was just so shocked by his outburst - he was absolutely seething at her - and she remembered watching as his normally bright green eyes glinted with something she had never seen before. He worried her; was he that insecure to pull such vicious comments at her over a few comments from Draco and Blaise?

She rounded a corner and entered her building. Stomping up the stairs she grumbled about her flat being on the fifth floor. _At least at Hogwarts I got used to walking up and down stairs all the time! _She huffed to herself, suddenly feeling a great deal of home-sickness for her old school. Reaching her floor, she muttered a grateful _'finally' _and hurried down the corridor to her door.

Standing down the end of the corridor was a man with a familiar mop of messy black hair; Hermione stopped and stared in surprise.

"Hermione?"

"H-harry?" She felt emotion constrict her voice at the sight of one of her closest friends.

"Hey." He grinned and pushed himself off her front door.

She laughed and ran into his arms. "What are you doing here?" She asked, fiercely embracing him.

"Oh I was in the neighbourhood…" He grinned and returned her hug. "I finally got a break from training and realised that I hadn't seen you for ages."

"It's so good to see you. Honestly it has been too long… what with your Auror training and me starting university." She exclaimed as they pulled apart. "Come in and we can catch up." She had suddenly forgotten her terrible mood after fighting with Tom and let them into her flat.

"So this is your palace huh?" Harry asked as he pulled off his jacket and hung it up in her hallway.

"Pfft… palace. But it does the trick for now." She replied in good humour as she led him into the living area.

"I like it." He said whilst looking around. "It suits you."

"Thanks. Do you want a drink or something?" She asked, watching him plop down onto her sofa.

"Sure, whatever you're having." He replied easily.

Hermione nodded and went and grabbed two cans of coke from the fridge. Re-entering the lounge room she spotted Harry going through the Skeeter book on Snape. He looked up at her.

"You read this?" He asked.

"Yeah…" She shrugged slightly. "I hate Skeeter, but it was strangely comforting to read about Snape." She grimaced.

"I know what you mean." Harry replied quietly. "The bloody bint keeps hassling me about Sirius – her next _project_ as she described it." He sneered.

Hermione rolled her eyes and sighed in annoyance. She sometimes wished that she had just stood on Skeeter, the bloody bug.

"So why did you look so upset when you turned up before? Is everything okay?" Hermione's head whipped at Harry's sudden change of topic. _Typical male_, she huffed.

"Oh it's nothing." She replied.

"Don't lie 'Mione. I know when you're upset and you looked like you were about to go on the war path." He said.

Hermione huffed; _damn Harry_. "I'm sort of seeing this guy…" She looked at Harry who smirked and waggled his eyebrows in return. "Anyway, we had a bit of a fight and I stormed off."

Harry chuckled a bit, earning a glare from Hermione. "What could you be fighting about that had you storm off? Although I might feel sorry for the bloke if he incurred your wrath."

Hermione shot him another glare. "Well we were arguing because he acted like a prat towards Draco and Blaise."

Harry almost spat his drink out in shock. "_Malfoy and Zabini_? You were sticking up for them?" He asked incredulously.

"Well not really… it's hard to explain really. I assume Ginny told you everything about Draco and Blaise going to uni with me?" He nodded and she continued. "Well, we've kind of called a truce. Draco is still a prat but I actually really enjoy spending time with Blaise." She shrugged, knowing it would be hard for Harry to understand her newfound friends.

"Be careful 'Mione, I know Malfoy wasn't as evil as I always thought he was, but I don't want him to use you." Harry replied with a concerned look on his face.

Hermione rolled her eyes at Harry's protectiveness and his _ongoing_ belief that Malfoy was 'up to something', as he so often quoted.

"Now you sound exactly like Tom." She moaned.

Harry laughed. "So that is actually what you two were fighting about?" He sounded surprised that his own suspicions were on the money.

"Yes, and he thinks that Blaise is after me." She rubbed her face in frustration. "I mean, really! We've only been on one date – he can't tell me who I can and cannot spend time with! And I happen to enjoy spending time with Blaise." She huffed.

"I admit I don't know that much about Zabini, but I can understand why this Tom would be worried. If I recall Hogwarts gossip, Zabini was a bit of a player." Harry grinned at her.

"You, Harry Potter, had time for gossip? Was this shared in between defeating the dark lord and trying to do school work?" She laughed.

"Well actually, the Quidditch locker rooms are a great place to get gossip on the other houses." He grinned back at her. "Apparently there was an incident between Zabini and a rather over-enthusiastic Marietta Edgecombe in sixth year." He laughed. "I didn't hear exact details but apparently she was ordered to stay away from him for the rest of their time at Hogwarts."

"Urgh why am I not surprised that _sneak_ would cause trouble with him?" She then laughed, remembering how annoying Marietta was and suddenly felt very sorry for Blaise.

They both looked at each other and laughed, Harry seeming to read Hermione's thoughts.

"So where's Ron?" Hermione asked. "He should have come over too." She asked, wondering why he hadn't taken up the chance to come and heckle Hermione into re-joining the wizarding world. She noticed Harry's awkward facial expression.

"Well that's another reason I'm kinda here Hermione." He began.

"What's the matter, Harry?"

"Well I wanted to let you know that Ron has asked Lavender to the party as a date. I just wanted you to know."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Why should I care who Ronald asks out on dates?"

"Well I think he is doing it to get back at you… you see, Ginny mentioned to all of us how you had called a truce with Malfoy and were friendly with Zabini… not to mention she said you had been asked out by a muggle bloke and accepted."

Hermione felt flabbergasted. "What's this got to do with anything?"

"Well Ron, in his usual way, hit the roof. He's angry you won't give him a chance but you are spending time with those two and going on dates with guys you don't even know." Harry finished, looking as though he really didn't want Hermione's wrath. "I think he wants to do it to make you jealous. Ginny said I should warn you."

Hermione was speechless. Would Ron always be this immature? He was acting as though she was some kind of floozy about town! She would show him!

"Well." She replied haughtily. "Two can play at this game!" She huffed, not noticing Harry's grimace. "If he thinks I'm such a hussy then perhaps I should prove him right!"

* * *

**There you have it people! **

**Yay for Harry making an appearance and cheering Hermione up. Oh no! What will Tom do to get back on Hermione's good side? What will Hermione do to get revenge at Weaselbee for his immature ways?**

**And Blaise is now _watching _Tom Smith! Whilst Draco continues being an arse to Tom (Mwahahaha I love writing these scenes).**

**Please review! They do really spur me on. Especially with uni and work being so crazy busy at the moment. Funnily enough uni has me thinking of HP... doing International Relations theory, I think Dumbledore is a down right Liberalist and Voldy likes to get his Despotism on... haha, oh geez I really need to get a life.**

**Anyway, thanks for reading!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Here is Chapter 7 my lovely readers...**

**A/N: I apologise in the last chapter I stated that Ron and Lavender were going to "a party" with everyone else... I meant to mention that the party was Harry and Ginny's ENGAGEMENT ****party. So sorry! I will try and ensure that I don't leave out important details in future chapters...**

**ALSO, I got an anon review stating the following:_ "Seems kind of pointless that Blaise and Draco are there and being uncharacteristically nice and flirty. I feel like you only put them in the story, against all form of reason, because you like them. Can't really blame you for using characters you like in your own story, though. " -_ There is a reason I have included Draco and Blaise. Whilst I don't want to completely give away what is going to happen, Draco is especially integral to my story. Blaise for similar reasons AND because I don't think Weaselbee could compare as a love interest/competitor to Tom (sorry Ron fans!). And yes I do happen to like Draco and Blaise as characters and enjoy writing them immensely. I am not sure they are being 'uncharateristic'... maybe a little bit. But they see Hermione as familiar and the war is over. Not only are they trying to repair their own images, I do think they are trying to change and become better people as well. BUT I accept all reviews and won't flame those who want to be (constructively) critical and not be anonymous ;) I will respond though... **

**Thank you to Bubblefairey , mad_bout_horses_nd_cowboys , sweet_tang_honney , NoodleS_RoX_x , LK_HoGwArTs_hEaDgIrL , jaspersluv1863 , LeahHeartsEdward , CaBuckeye , BoulderGirl1059 , nikif , DBM33 , AwesomePersonlolxx , for all of your reviews, they are very motivating... :D Also, thanks to everyone who has put this story as an alert or favourite... don't be afraid to make a comment!**

* * *

CHAPTER 7

_It's hard to breath / I hope this doesn't offend / offend / how come you never want to dance with me anymore? / lying cold sleep at home while I'm on the floor / how come you never want to dance with me anymore? / You've got a hold on me girl - Grinspoon (Hold on Me)_

Tom angrily slammed the front door of his flat and stomped into the kitchen. Forgetting his usual obsessions regarding cleanliness and organisation, he hastily kicked his boots off and threw his jacket and book bag down on the small kitchen counter, knocking some newspapers on the floor.

He couldn't believe that Hermione had told him off! Angrily opening his pantry he pulled out a bottle of whiskey and poured some in a glass, not even bothering to measure the shot. Bringing it to his lips he quickly knocked half the glass back and felt it burn down his throat, making him wince slightly at the strength of it.

_How dare she blame this on me! _He thought furiously as he moved into his living area and flopped down on his couch, not caring that some of his whiskey spilt on his shirt. _Why couldn't she see that she was the one who was wrong? _Tom glared into space.

He couldn't understand why she wouldn't take his side in this; after all, they were the ones who were rude to him… Especially that Malfoy – what exactly was his problem? He didn't seem to have romantic designs on Hermione but was still a complete wanker to Tom whenever he got the chance to be. _If that git purposely gets my name wrong one more time, I swear I won't be responsible for the consequences! _

Pursing his lips, he ran a hand through his hair, letting it fall into messy waves across his forehead. Zabini was a whole other kettle of fish. Tom did not like the way Zabini looked at _his _Hermione. Well she was _his_, wasn't she? As far as Tom was concerned, those idiots had no claim on her. From Hermione's accounts of their schooling days, Malfoy was apparently her school yard nemesis and Zabini barely said two words to her. In Tom's opinion he therefore had more claim to her. _Didn't she understand?_

Tom growled as he thought of the way she had dismissed him – as though he had no idea. Tom had plenty of ideas, thank you very much, they just involved getting rid of those two prats and having Hermione only pay attention to _him_. Girls had _never _dismissed Tom before… in fact he couldn't think of a time where he was ever rejected once by a girl – even when he was doing the chasing. Sure, some girls would try to play coy and make him work a little bit, but he eventually got his way and then rightly disposed of them. He especially enjoyed getting rid of the girls who purposely played games; thinking that would make him fall for them or somehow entrap him into a relationship with them. _Pathetic_, he sneered to himself.

Hermione was different though. She wasn't easy, nor was she playing games with Tom; although, if she were any other girl Tom would have definitely fucked her by now – even those insipid game-playing ones. Hermione was so much _more _than all those girls he had been with previously.

He thought back to the way she often looked; so worldly yet innocent at the same time. It was obvious she was a terrible liar – her eyes were like an open book. Unlike Tom, who was quite good at masking how he truly felt about the world. It was strange that at times he could detect an almost fierce inner strength in her character, yet at other times she almost seemed to have forgotten she possessed this character trait and seemed almost withdrawn in her reactions. He briefly remembered the way she had looked so drawn when he told her that he thought those two idiots were only using her for convenience – _well they are only using her! _Then a switch seemed to flick inside of her and she went at him like some sort of mad woman. He even noticed, with some amusement, that the angrier she got, the bigger her curly hair seemed to get.

He shuddered to think of the fools who had previously gotten on her bad side – before him, that was. Not that he thought that was the worst Hermione Granger could give when provoked. No, in fact he thought he got off pretty scot-free, she was quite fiery. He realised she had restrained her reaction with him – he could feel her restraint and see it in her eyes. He wouldn't mind seeing her let go at someone though – as long as it wasn't him. He also wouldn't mind seeing her let go in the bedroom, but that was a whole other realm to give thought to.

Tom felt as though he deserved Hermione even more because of the fact that he could feel these parts of her. Surely Malfoy and Zabini didn't have the mental capacity to read her or appreciate her like he could. He scoffed; _as if those buffoons could see past their own self-importance! _Although he immensely disliked the way Hermione, Zabini and Malfoy seemed to have an understanding of one another that felt as though he would never be a part of. It wasn't romantic in any way, but he figured it must have something to do with attending the same school together.

Somehow he had to get Hermione to get over their little fight and see him again. Whilst things were still in an early, tentative stage or their relationship, Tom found most of his thoughts always led back to her. He couldn't understand his obsession; he had never obsessed over a girl like this before. It felt entirely foreign to him. Perhaps, he justified to himself, because he had no experience in these situations it seemed so much more intense to him.

Feeling decidedly light-headed from drinking almost half a glass of straight whiskey he began pondering ways to win back Hermione.

* * *

Hermione and Ginny left another clothing store with glum faces. They were searching for dresses for the engagement party and so far had no success after two hours of searching. Both girls found their patience thinning rapidly.

"Maybe we should try Diagon Alley?" Ginny suggested as they made their way through the London crowds.

"I'm starting the wonder the same thing." Hermione responded. "At least the crowds aren't as big. Oh, this is so disappointing! I didn't want to wear something from a wizarding store." Hermione rolled her eyes at the thought of having to wear robes. Wizarding fashion, whilst always of high quality, was often a lot more conservative compared to muggle clothing.

"Yeah I was hoping to find something from London as well, but I just don't think it's our lucky day. Should we head over now? We aren't too far from the secret entrance." Ginny suggested.

"Okay." Hermione sighed. "I really didn't feel like being stared at today though." She huffed.

"Just ignore them… Ron reckons that the excitement has died down a fair bit anyway." Ginny replied.

"I suppose." Hermione acquiesced.

The two girls headed towards the secret entrance to Diagon Alley and entered through a disillusioned door that muggles couldn't see. Once they were in Diagon Alley Hermione couldn't help but smile at the sights and sounds. She _had _missed the wizarding world immensely, she thought as she watched an elderly witch, clutching onto two cats, fly on a magic carpet among the crowds, making her chuckle.

"Come on, there's a new store that has opened just down this lane." Ginny explained, grabbing her hand, and leading the way.

Hermione soaked up the sights and sounds as Ginny led her down a lane way. Since the war was over many stores had re-opened and there was also a smattering of new stores thrown in for good measure. Ginny finally stopped in front of a large purple building which seemed to shimmer slightly in the daylight. Hermione couldn't help but gasp.

"I know - it's cool right?" Ginny replied, in response to Hermione's surprise. "Its been here for about three months now. Fleur talks about it all the time. Apparently the clothes can adjust to fit your body shape perfectly!"

"What? So you don't pick a size?"

"Exactly. Apparently the material can sense your size as you put it on and adjusts itself accordingly. Then when you take it off it goes right back to how it was before adjusting itself." Ginny explained. "Imagine all the clothes we could swap if the size didn't matter!"

"Merlin, I love magic! We should have just come here straight away." Hermione exclaimed.

"Yes, you're probably right. But I was hoping for something awesome from a muggle designer… and I knew that you had been avoiding magical places. But I'm glad we're here now!" Ginny replied and quickly pulled her through the entrance.

Once they were inside it Hermione gasped; the store was amazing. Despite the fact that the exterior of the building only looked to be two stories, once they walked in there were at least five stories… housing all sorts of clothing and accessories. Hermione wasn't normally the clothes shopping type, but she certainly appreciated the ingenuity of the whole set up and the fact that you could possible buy _everything _here. It even appeared that they sold a selection of menswear as well.

Before she could stand and gape any longer, Ginny was leading her up a set of stairs. "Come on 'Mione, the evening dresses are up on the second floor."

They had been browsing for about 15 minutes and both girls had managed to find several dresses they liked. It seemed, since the war ended, that the wizarding world was trying to combine the best aspects of both worlds and that included fashion. The evening wear was absolutely gorgeous, with cuts and styles reminiscent of what Hermione had remembered seeing on muggle celebrities, mixed with the wonderful fabrics that only seemed available in the magical world.

The girls were about to head to their designated change rooms when they were interrupted.

"Hermione?" Said a smooth male voice from behind them. Hermione spun around and standing there was Blaise Zabini.

"Oh, hi!" Hermione squeaked, being surprised by his sudden appearance.

"I thought it was you." He smiled at her and then turned to Ginny. "Ginny, right?"

"Yeah, we haven't really met, but I've seen you around school." Ginny replied politely.

"Yeah, same. You're with Potter now aren't you?"

"Yeah. Well engaged actually. That's why we're here – to find something for the engagement party coming this weekend."

"Congratulations." Blaise smiled at her and then turned his attention back to Hermione.

"I'm glad you're here actually, I wanted – "

"OMYGODSHERMIONEGINNY!" What could only be described as a screech interrupted Blaise. The three of them turned around to see an overly enthused Lavender Brown running towards them.

"Oh great." Ginny muttered unenthusiastically, which received a surprised look from Blaise. "Don't even ask." She said to him seriously, which caused him to smirk.

"Oh hello Lavender." Hermione said politely. "Fancy seeing you here."

"This is _the _place to come! I needed a dress for the engagement party. You, _of course_, must know that Ron asked me." Lavender paid particular attention to Hermione's reaction at the last part of her sentence.

"Yes we heard." Hermione replied with a rather passive expression on her face.

"Well I knew he'd come back eventually. I mean… I just think that I understand him, yeah?"

Hermione's eyebrows shot up in surprise. _Did I really have to share a dorm with her for seven years?_

"We all understand what happened Lavender, especially Hermione." Ginny responded. "After all, she went with Ron and Harry to defeat Voldemort."

"Well, yes, I suppose." Lavender replied slowly. "I just think Ron and I have such a connection. I mean he needed the distraction of you to realise that he really wanted me." She said in a scarily chirpy voice. "My tarot cards told me so on the day he actually asked me! I hope you won't mind us at the party then Hermione?"

Hermione seethed. _Tarot cards? Honestly! _Before she could retort on the merits of tarot cards and divination in general, Ginny interrupted.

"Actually Lavender, Hermione is fine with it… because she's taking Blaise Zabini!" Ginny crossed her arms smugly, whilst Hermione turned to Blaise, horrified, whilst Blaise stood there rather shocked – thinking that the girls had just forgotten he was still standing there.

"Uh, uh…?" Hermione was officially in panic-mode. How was she supposed to get out of this situation?

"Yes, we were just making sure whatever dress Hermione picks matches my tie." Blaise grinned and took a step towards Hermione.

_How did he manage to reply to this situation so smoothly?_ Hermione thought, as she felt their shoulders brush when he moved closer to her.

Lavender gaped, apparently not having noticed Blaise standing there whilst she was busy boasting about her date with Ron. Hermione looked at Blaise in shock and he winked at her.

"Oh Blaise Zabini right? Weren't you in Slytherin house?" Lavender said in a sickly sweet voice, looking him up and down. Hermione was even sure that she saw her flutter her eyelashes a bit, much to her disgust.

"Yes. And now I'm going to University with Hermione." Blaise replied and placed his hand gently on Hermione's shoulder.

Hermione was sure she saw a flash of envy in Lavenders eyes. Well, who wouldn't be envious of her right now? Blaise Zabini was incredibly handsome, not to mention his hand _was _quite nice and warm.

"Well that's all very nice. Hermione, I'm glad to see that you've been able to move on from Ron." Lavender then replied with a somewhat pinched face. "I really must be off; the perfect dress won't find itself after all. See you all at the party!" And with that, she made a hasty retreat.

Hermione immediately turned on Ginny and Blaise. "Ginny! What were you thinking?" She hissed.

"Oh calm down Hermione! She was being such a cow and Blaise doesn't mind, do you?" Ginny turned to Blaise.

Before Blaise could speak, Hermione interrupted. "I'm so sorry Blaise; you really don't have to go with me. I mean, we can say that you were unable to make it at the last minute or had to cancel." She said.

Blaise chuckled. "It's fine Hermione. And no, how can I refuse an invite to what is surely going to be the event of the season!" He grinned at her.

"Are you sure? I mean I understand if you would feel uncomfortable…" With that, she shot Ginny a glare.

"Nonsense, Hermione." He said in a non-negotiable tone. "I would be honoured to be your date. Now I really must be off before you find another way to try and get out of going on a date with me. Besides, I think my Mother will be done by now with her robe shopping."

"Okay, well I guess I'll see you at Uni then." Hermione replied, blushing.

"That you will. Good to finally properly meet you Ginny." He smiled and then walked off. Both girls wistfully watched the handsome man and once he was out of earshot, Hermione spun on Ginny.

"Oh don't look at me like that Hermione!" Ginny scolded.

"Like what? Why would you do that?"

"Come off it! He is attracted to you and not to mention that it will shut Lavender up! I can't stand the way she acts with Ron."

"Well neither can I… but I don't know what you are talking about Blaise being attracted to me. He will probably be embarrassed; I mean I've seen some of his ex-girlfriends – not to mention who he used to take to the slug club parties."

"Oh please. Daphne Greengrass? She's plain as a day and not that smart either. I wish you could see yourself the way others do." Ginny gave her hand a reassuring squeeze. "Honestly Hermione, what guy _wouldn't _want you?"

Hermione simply rolled her eyes and then let out a shocked squeak. "Oh no! what about Tom?"

"Tom? The muggle? He's not even talking to you at the moment!"

"Still! What if Blaise rubs in the fact that he's taking me on a date. Shouldn't I have asked him instead?"

"Hermione… Whilst Harry and I have no issues with muggles, it is probably a bit soon to introduce him to the world of magic… not to mention I can't expect all of our family and friends to _not _use magic for the night because of one person. Who, technically, you've only been on one date with!"

"Alright! Alright! You make a point. I just feel a bit guilty that's all. I know he would be really upset if he found out, that's all."

"Merlin, you need to tell him to get over it… you are not exclusive with him! He sounds almost a bit _too _into you, Hermione." Ginny sniffed.

"That's not what it is at all Ginny, I am merely being nice." Hermione huffed.

"Too nice if you ask me." Ginny retorted as they headed into the change rooms.

* * *

_The girl was obviously in her mid-teens, yet she dressed like she was at least five years old with ridiculous pig tails, giant unflattering glasses and a flounce in her step that you would see on a naïve child. Tom had never seen this girl before, yet she seemed to know him._

_He was sitting in what looked like a giant library – but not the university one or the one he remembered from his public school. This one looked ancient, and miles long – stacked to the roof tops with books that looked as equally ancient as the library did._

"_Tommy!" The girl, who looked like a child, simpered at him and sat across from him. "Can you please help me with my runes homework?" She attempted batting her eyelashes at him but it simply looked distorted with her giant glasses. She let out what seemed to be a nervous giggle – Tom noted that it was extremely high pitched and annoying._

_Before he could respond – and ask this girl who on earth she was and how she knew him – he heard light footsteps approaching his table. The girl across from him visibly tensed when she noticed whoever was approaching from behind Tom._

"_Annoying Tom again are you Myrtle?" An arrogant voice said from behind him. Ah, so her name was Myrtle, Tom mused. _

_Tom turned his attention to the voice behind him and stared up at the tall figure. The boy looked to be around 16 years old with flaxen blonde hair and pale white skin. The tall, blonde boy looked down at Tom and smirked as if they were in on some joke together._

"_Leave us alone Abraxas! I wasn't annoying Tom – I need his help with my homework." The girl replied petulantly at the boy who Tom now knew as 'Abraxas'._

_Abraxas arched a blonde eyebrow arrogantly and sneered at the girl. "And why, pray tell, would a ravenclaw need help with homework?" _

_Tom's eyebrows shot up in confusion. What on earth were they going on about? What's a ravenclaw? _

"_Tom is the smartest in our year – he is the best at Runes!" Myrtle snapped at Abraxas, whilst turning and giving Tom another appraising glance, which made him quite uncomfortable. _

"_Keep deluding yourself Myrtle. Everyone sees you following Tom around the castle like a love sick puppy and laughs at you. Now if you'd kindly quit this charade of 'needing help' and leave. I need to discuss house business with Tom and it can't wait." Abraxas sneered at the girl cruelly._

_Myrtle's eyes welled up with tears. Tom found this girl annoyingly pathetic. He knew that a polite person would admonish this Abraxas character for being rude but he was happy that this boy was being rude to her! She deserved it for being so pathetic in trying to get his attention. Tom noticed that both Abraxas and Myrtle were looking to Tom expectantly for an answer. _

"_Sorry, Myrtle, but this is more important." Tom replied in a cool voice – imitating the tone of Abraxas and giving her his haughtiest look. He knew who he would rather talk to… _

_Myrtle blushed at Tom when he addressed her by name and stuttered. "O-of course T-tom! House duties are so important, especially for someone like you!" she simpered, causing Abraxas to scoff as he sat himself down next to Tom. _

_Tom observed Myrtle stand up and pick up all her books. She gave another longing look towards Tom which made him scrunch his nose up in disgust. Was this girl obsessed with him or something? "Bye Tom! See you in Potions tomorrow!" She simpered and flounced off like a child preparing for play time._

_Abraxas turned to Tom and smirked. "You owe me Riddle." He grinned. "That stupid mudblood is becoming quite a problem."_

_Tom couldn't keep his confusion masked. Why did that boy call me 'Riddle'? And what's a mudblood who wants to do runes and potions?_

* * *

Almost a week had passed and Hermione entered the class that she shared with Tom. She was disappointed that he hadn't even tried to contact her to apologise for being such a _cave man_. That was Ginny's term, not hers, by the way. Hermione had unceremoniously whinged about her terrible luck with men to both poor Harry and Ginny. Ginny, of course, was more helpful on the topic of Hermione's frustration. She didn't understand why Ron was so jealous. If anything, he was doing better in the love stakes than she was. _Ronald _simply had to realise that nothing was ever going to happen between the two of them. It would be like dating your own brother; Hermione scrunched her nose up at the thought. None the less, Hermione missed her best friend terribly and wanted to spend more time with him. _This constant avoiding needed to come to an end!_ She thought, resolutely.

Hermione's anger at Tom had waned significantly over the last week. Perhaps it was the lack of contact on his behalf or the many nights she had to sleep on the matter or even the fact that she may have been slightly overreacting. After discussing the argument with both Harry and Ginny she realised that she wasn't sticking up for Blaise and Draco. It was misguided to even think that. After putting up with Draco in school, she had been on the receiving end of much of his taunting to understand how infuriating the pureblood idiot was. What upset her most was how Tom spoke over and _for _her. She didn't need a man to speak for her – she was Hermione Granger!

Hermione made her way towards Blaise, who was sitting next to an idly reclining Draco and sat down, giving the two wizards a polite 'Hello'. They grinned at her in return.

"So why does Blaise get an invite to Potters party and I don't?" Draco sniped as soon as she sat down.

"Blaise," she said, giving clear emphasis on his name, "Is doing me a favour, Draco. Not to mention that I know how much trouble you would cause if you somehow managed to wrangle an invite."

"Well, as _if _I would want to go anyway." Draco sniffed in a faux-haughty tone which made both Blaise and Hermione laugh.

"What can I say… I'm a nice guy!" Blaise replied, waggling his eyebrows at Hermione. Hermione simply scoffed in return.

"So, aren't you ready to expose lover-boy to the magic world yet?" Draco asked and nodded to Tom, who was sitting a few rows up and hadn't appeared to have even noticed them, much to Hermione's annoyance.

"Oh… well, you know, we aren't actually seeing each other." Hermione scowled.

"Oooh trouble in paradise?" Draco mocked. "Poor old Tim… he must be devastated!" He laughed.

"Draco, it's Tom, for the last time! And I highly doubt it. Sometimes things just don't work out okay?" Hermione huffed.

Draco looked as though he was about to say more, but the Lecturer chose that time to enter class. All three of them turned to the front, but Hermione did notice the triumphant expression on Blaise's face.

* * *

Of course Tom noticed Hermione as soon as she walked into the room. It was almost like he had an alarm set for the girl whenever she came into close proximity to him. _You are officially obsessed, just fuck her and get it over with! _His mind hissed. Surely that would quell the fact that he couldn't stop thinking about her. He noticed that she went straight to the back of the lecture theatre to sit with the two buffoons. _Ah, the two buffoons_, he mused to himself. That Malfoy looked a lot like that Abraxas character from the strange dream he had the other night. Maybe it was supposed to be Malfoy? But why would he dream that he was friends with Malfoy? He absolutely couldn't stand that idiot! And who was the strange chit Myrtle supposed to symbolise? Tom decided to put it out of his mind for the time being – _it was just a dream, no need to over-analyse. _

At that moment, the Lecturer strode into the class room and began discussing what their assessment was going to be.

"For the seminar assessment you will be giving a presentation on a book from this list," the lecturer began handing lists to the class, "and describing how the themes could apply in modern society. You will be working in pairs and to make things easy for me and remembering names; you will work with the same partner from the last exercise I gave you."

Tom couldn't help the smug smile that appeared on his face. _Oh, this is too easy! _Working on a project with Hermione… meant getting to work with her _alone_ and give him an outlet to try and get on her good side again.

"If I could get everyone to move into your respective pairs and you can spend this lesson discussing your assessment." The Lecturer boomed over the quiet murmur that had erupted among the students.

Tom decided to stay exactly where he was. There was already a spare seat next to him and there was no way he was going to move to the back to sit with those two idiots. He hoped that his ignoring of her over the last week or so had annoyed her enough to actually want to come and talk to him. He had purposely decided to give her space, knowing that Hermione – or any girl for that matter – would have expected him to ring her and apologise for the fight. No, that was not how he operated. If he didn't speak to her than it left her to seriously doubt what she was angry about in the first place, and question if she had possibly done something wrong. Tom sat there smugly, feeling Hermione approach before he saw her.

* * *

Hermione resignedly picked up her books and bag and prepared to go and sit with Tom. He hadn't even looked at her yet! Even after the Lecturer had announced what they were doing. He didn't even show any signs of joining her, so now she was moving towards him. Whilst on one hand she could understand that he wouldn't want to sit near Blaise and Draco, she was seriously starting to second-guess the whole argument they had. Had she offended him that terribly?

She stood up and said goodbye to Draco and Blaise, with Blaise giving her a tight smile, seeming to pick up on her awkwardness. Walking down towards Tom, she couldn't understand why she suddenly felt nervous about seeing him. _You did nothing wrong! _Okay, so maybe she had yelled at him – but he was mean too!

Sitting down beside him she decided to play it cool. "Hello Tom." She said calmly, whilst pulling her books out and arranging them neatly on the desk.

He turned and looked at her, smiling calmly. "Hermione." He responded cordially.

_Merlin! Why does he have to be so good looking! _Hermione thought, as she took in his tall form languidly leaning back in his chair in an arrogant manner. Tom was the kind of guy who _owned _his height. There was no stooping or awkward bumbling like she remembered with Neville Longbottom or other boys from school. Tom seemed to exude power and influence, and his confident smirk told her that he knew it too.

Hermione couldn't help but huff in frustration. "Well." She said as she picked up the list being handed out. "Which book do you want to choose?" She was purposely trying to avoid staring at his vivid green eyes or his kissable full lips.

Tom shrugged his shoulders and moved closer towards her, plucking the list out of her hands. Hermione pursed her lips in annoyance at his nonchalant attitude and watched him as he went through the list.

"Well." He said as he looked her straight in the eye. "I am over _Heart of Darkness_… How about… Lady Chatterley's Lover?" He looked at her intently, a glint in his eyes daring her to disagree.

Hermione's eyebrows shot up. "Are you sure?" She squeaked. She had read the book in her fifth year, curious to see what all the fuss was about and well, trying to find something sexually sophisticated after dealing with the rather salacious attentions of Viktor Krum.

"Sure. It's the only other one I've read besides _Heart of Darkness_, which will make things easier. Have you read it?" He asked.

Hermione's cheeks blushed profusely. "Um, no. I have never had the need to read it!" She lied. _Merlin Hermione! Why are you lying about something like reading a book? _"Though I know what it is about, of course." She attempted to regain some of her composure.

Tom smirked at her; leaning towards her ear, he whispered, "So what's it all about then, _Hermione_?" He breathed her name, which sent goose bumps trailing down all her neck.

"Well," She turned her face towards him and had to lean back slightly, his proximity so close. "It's about a woman whose husband becomes immobile and she has to take a lover…" She trailed off and looked down, feeling flushed and embarrassed.

Tom simply smirked at Hermione and sat back in his chair regarding her. This annoyed her to no end. _Bloody smug bastard thinks he can embarrass me! I'll show him!_

"Really Hermione, there's nothing to be ashamed about… it's a classic after all."

"Oh of course… I mean why shouldn't a woman seek comfort elsewhere if a man isn't up to scratch?" She replied evenly, feeling defiant under his gaze.

He seemed greatly pleased with her response and his smirk got bigger – if possible. He leant back towards her, re-entering her personal space. "I can assure you Hermione that _we _would never have to entertain such thoughts."

"_We_? Since when was there a _we_?" Hermione scoffed. "You have ignored me for a week!"

He smirked before he reached for her hand. Grasping it within his much larger hand he brought it to his lips and put a soft kiss on it. "I was giving you space – is that not what you wanted?" The expression on his face was far too 'innocent' for Hermione's liking.

"Hmph. An apology wouldn't go astray."

"_My _Hermione…" he crooned, grasping her hand tightly. "I don't apologise." He moved his head to nuzzle her neck slightly. "So… are we okay?"

Hermione couldn't think straight with him so close to her… his smell, touch and voice made her tingle inside… like how she felt when she first mastered a really difficult spell; he made her feel so good.

"I know you are manipulating me Tom…" she shuddered as he pulled her towards him and nuzzled her neck. "But for the sake of everyone in this class and not being scared for life at your actions, I suppose I can forgive you this once…" she felt him grin against her neck. "But don't ever talk over me again and I won't yell at you." She finished in a bossy tone.

"Very well." He replied, and placed a light kiss on her cheek. Merlin! She was embarrassed! What if Blaise and Draco saw this going on… after she told them nothing was going on and she was going to the engagement party with Blaise in two weeks.

"So, _Lady Chatterley's Lover _it is?" He grinned.

* * *

**That cheeky Tom eh? Manipulating his way back to Hermione without even apologising...****I personally think Tom played things quite well... knowing that Hermione would question things if he refused to talk to her. **** Do you agree with Ginny and think that he is becoming too obsessed? And now Blaise gets his date! Thanks to Ginny of all people. **

**What did you all think of Tom's dream? to be honest I'd throw Myrtle to a basilisk too... she annoyed me to no end in the books and movies!**

**Tell me what you think! I hope I can get the next chapter up soon. I have 2 essays for uni (urgh) and I will begin travelling around the state for work... so I am not sure how this month will go. But, as I always say... REVIEW! it gives me inspiration to get another chapter done, even when life is ridiculously crazy.**

**Thanks!**

**xo Shan**


	8. Chapter 8

**Good Morning my lovely readers!**

**Welcome to Chapter 8...**

**Thank you to: AwesomePersonlolxx , CaBuckeye , LK_HoGwArTs_hEaDgIrL , YearOfJudges, LeahHeartsEdward, nikif, jaspersluv1863, ilovefireyredheads , whynot78, ALR and Ikuni Hattori for your reviews of Ch7. **

**Thank you to everyone who has either added this story as a favourite or as an alert :)**

**So I don't own any of this... All credit to JK Rowling and Warner Brothers - credit where credit is due people!**

**Oh and the M rating is finally coming into play in this chapter. So you've been warned!**

* * *

_"But it just the price I pay / Destiny is calling me / Open up my eager eyes / Cos I'm Mr Brightside" - The Killers (Mr Brightside)_

"_Crucio."_

_The boy screamed out in pain as his body contorted like it wanted to rip out of its own skin. Blood lightly trickled from his mouth as his head smacked against the stone floor. After what seemed like forever, but was only actually a minute or so, the pain suddenly subsided and the boy laid stock still on the stone floor. Only the occasional tremor in his hands and legs indicated the torment his body had just gone through._

"_Let Avery's mistake be a message to all of you."_

* * *

"Stop that!"

"Make me…" Tom grinned as he pulled her towards his lap.

"Tom!"

Tom and Hermione were currently sitting in Hermione's lounge room, _trying_ to finish their class assignment. Hermione huffed. _Trying_ really was the key word, as Tom tried to pull her onto his lap _again_.

It had been almost two weeks since they had gotten over their little 'fight' and they had unintentionally – well, for Hermione it _was _unintentional at least – began spending a lot of time together.

"Can we just finish going over this last paragraph please?" Hermione pleaded, as Tom ran his hands up and down her sides.

Tom rolled his eyes in mock annoyance and pulled his hands away. "Fine." He replied, leaning towards the prompt cards that they had prepared. Hermione held up the last one for their examination.

"_In conclusion, whilst Lady Chatterley's Lover may seem tame now, __this book broke with customary literature of the time by delving into issues of sex and the sexual mixing of the classes__. It therefore helped pave the way for literary freedom of speech – something, which we take for granted in this day and age." _Hermione narrated. "Hmm, I think we are pretty much done, but I still think this can be improved upon…" She trailed off and wrote some notes down on the prompt cards.

Tom watched her write the notes down, enjoying the way she had to keep flicking her hair away from her face in a rather annoyed manner. As she was about the push her hair back for the sixth time in the space of five minutes, Tom reached out and did it for her – enjoying the way her hair felt in his fingers. She turned and arched an eyebrow at him.

"What? You've been flicking that hair back constantly. I'm just helping, you know?" He said in response to her facial expression.

"Well, I think we're done for today anyway." Hermione stated, ignoring how pink her cheeks had become from his attentions.

Tom grinned at her, "Really?" He asked, in a suggestive manner.

Hermione yelped as she suddenly found herself in Tom's lap, staring straight into his impossibly green eyes. He smirked as he cupped her cheek, running his index finger along the outline of her cheekbone and then along her lips. Pulling her closer, his lips met hers in a way that left no room for negotiation. She softly sighed as she felt him deepen the kiss and she responded in kind. Tom suddenly moved her around so she was now straddling his lap. Running his hands up and down her back, he pulled her flush against his chest, until there was no space left between them at all.

* * *

Hermione was having trouble thinking – something which was _very_ unusual for her. Things seemed to be moving exceptionally quickly between the two of them. Their little get togethers always ending with Tom kissing the living daylights out of her, and her not minding one single bit. She shuddered pleasantly as she felt his hands creep under her shirt and brush along her lower back. Her hands gripped his shoulders as his wandering hands moved from her back to her sides and then gently brushing her stomach. _Hmm, this is new, _she thought, as she felt his hands slowly move up her stomach towards her breasts. At this rate, well, Hermione did not want Tom to think she was easy – nothing could be further from the truth. _Oh but this feels so nice! _She moaned as he pulled away from her lips and began trailing hot kisses down her jaw line and moving his hands closer to his desired destination.

"Tom…" Hermione breathed.

"Mm?"

"Erm, I just… uh…" Hermione was confused as to how she would approach this situation. These advances, unlike those of Krum and Cormac McLaggen, were actually _wanted_.

Tom moved back and stared at her. "You were just… uh?" He smugly looked at her, keeping his hands under her breasts.

"What I am trying to say… oh this is embarrassing!"

Tom was now looking at her in confusion. Hermione sighed and pulled slightly back in their embrace, making him frown and pull her back towards him.

She looked down, biting her lower lip. "I'm not that experienced." She said in a hushed voice, laced with embarrassment.

"Experienced?" Tom quirked a brow in confusion.

Hermione huffed, her cheeks reddening. "I'm not… not like that girl you know, who we saw at dinner that time, for example. Do you get what I mean?"

Tom simply stared at her for a few moments, before something dawned on his features and he laughed! Hermione scowled at this and went to pull herself off him, though his hands held her hips firmly, and rather possessively.

"What's so funny? Just because I don't go throwing myself around like some… some floozy!" Hermione was now struggling to get out of his embrace. "Let me go! And you can go home too!"

Tom was now all out guffawing at Hermione which made her absolutely furious! She outright scowled at him.

"Stop laughing at me! And I told you to let me go!" She hissed.

Tom looked at her. "Oh Hermione, come on! Don't be like that." He pulled her back towards him and cradled her face in his hands. She stared at him angrily.

"Well don't laugh at me for telling you something that's highly personal!"

"Oh Hermione… I know, okay?" He said softly, a smug grin still ghosting on his lips.

"Know what?"

"I know you don't, as you so eloquently put it, _throw yourself around like some floozy_." He responded.

"Oh." Hermione sighed.

"Oh?"

"Well… I guess then you know I'm not going to sleep with you straight away." Hermione smirked at him.

"Hmm… can't blame a guy for trying though?" He grinned cheekily.

"Tom!" Hermione was ready to give him another lecture, but before she knew it he was kissing her again. Rolling her eyes at his audacity, she returned the kiss, sighing that it just wasn't worthwhile trying to argue with him. "You are incorrigible." She mumbled against his lips.

Tom grinned in return, "And that's exactly how you like me."

* * *

Tom leaned back on Hermione's sofa feeling very smug. It had been almost two weeks since their fight and Tom had managed to convince Hermione not to be angry at him _and _to continue moving things in a rather pleasant direction. Since then, Tom had made it his mission to spend as much time as possible with Hermione. He found if he put enough effort in that he was always able to think of a way to be around her; whether it was studying for their joint project, studying in general or taking her out, there always seemed to be a way for him to be around her.

He was at least somewhat less confused about _why _he wanted to spend so much time around her now. Slowly, he was realising that maybe he just liked her energy – or "aura" as those new-age weirdos would call it. It did help that she was intelligent as well; she was perhaps the most intelligent person he had ever met – besides himself of course, he thought arrogantly.

Tom had always felt like he would become _something_. He knew that he would never be the kind of guy who would be happy to sit in a 9-5 job, plodding through life not doing anything extraordinary. Despite his incredibly average childhood, he knew there was something out _there_ for him, which put him, he believed, a cut above the rest. He watched his peers and acquaintances settle into uni, relationships, jobs and life – happy with 'their lot'. Tom felt pity and disgust towards them more than anything. How could they just be happy being average? Settling for ordinary… happy to be another speck in the London crowds, or another car in peak hour traffic all crawling towards nothing special? Tom sneered, _pathetic_!

The feeling of being '_more_', which had simmered inside of him for as long as he could remember, boiled to the surface when he met and was around Hermione. Was he falling for her? He knew he definitely wanted to sleep with her… but Tom had never _fallen _for a girl before. That was something average, boring people did. Although Hermione was quite exceptional so perhaps his feelings were acceptable?

He shifted in his seat, realising that he was staring off into space again. Casually looking around Hermione's flat, he admired how clean and organised she was - just like he was. Some girls he had been with surprisingly lived like absolute pigs. You'd think, _as women_, they would know better. Tom couldn't stand messy and disorganised people.

He decided to get up and see how Hermione was going with their dinner. She had offered to make them toasted cheese sandwiches and something smelt like it was suspiciously burning in the kitchen. Standing up and stretching, he ambled over to the kitchen to see if he could help. Tom smirked as he heard Hermione curse; she was quick to temper sometimes, especially if something was not going her way. Peeking around the kitchen corner he saw her quickly run over to the stove and turn the element down.

"Oh fuck!" He heard her mumble, rather angrily, as she waved her hand away to move some of the smoke that had built up over the fry pan.

He was about to step in and make fun of her for burning the toasted sandwiches until he saw her look around shiftily and suddenly, the smoke banished. _Wait a second, how does smoke vanish that quickly?_ Tom observed closely. The kitchen didn't have an extraction fan and smoke always lingered – along with the smell which had just vanished. He observed her, unnoticed, for a bit longer. Deciding to finally reveal himself, he casually strolled into the kitchen, his spying not being obvious.

Hearing him enter, Hermione turned and smiled. "Hey, just in time, they're ready." She grinned and gestured to the sandwiches.

Tom walked up to her and wrapped his arms around her middle. Kissing her on the nose, he smiled at her. "Hmm, thank you."

"Not a problem." She smiled, blushing slightly at his attention, and handed him his plate.

Tom looked in surprise at his plate. There sat a perfectly cooked (non-burnt) toasted sandwich. Tom quickly looked over to Hermione's and it was perfectly cooked as well. He couldn't help but furrow his brow in confusion.

"Um, what was that burning smell before?" He asked her in curiosity. "I thought you had stuffed them up after I heard you swear before." He looked at her questioningly.

Hermione's eyebrows shot up in surprise and she bit on her bottom lip in what he now knew as a nervous gesture. "Um, no… I stubbed my toe – hence the swearing. As for the sandwiches… well, I don't know what you smelt." She finished, rather awkwardly.

Tom didn't understand why she was lying about this… he knew what he saw and smelt. He looked at Hermione again, who was suddenly busying herself with putting things back in the fridge and getting her own plate. _Maybe she's such a perfectionist that she's embarrassed about not cooking something perfectly? Maybe she wasn't actually burning anything and I'm just imagining it? Why is she acting so nervously about it then?_ Tom's mind was running a million miles an hour. Finally, he decided that it was something he would worry about later and sit down and eat with Hermione. The last thing he wanted was to do ruin all the progress he had made in the last two weeks by upsetting her.

* * *

_Merlin! How could I be so stupid! _Hermione couldn't believe that Tom almost caught her using magic. She had only turned her back for a second on those blasted toasted sandwiches and they began burning. Using a spell Molly Weasley had taught her, Hermione quickly had things back under control and had fixed the sandwiches so they were perfect.

She awkwardly watched Tom from the corner of her eye as they ate their dinner. She felt terrible lying to him… but knew she couldn't tell him about her abilities just yet. It was too risky, and besides, she enjoyed his company and didn't want to have to keep explaining magic to him like she had to whenever she caught up with her Mum and Dad. Tom wasn't an idiot though and had already almost caught her out once – she'd just need to be more careful.

It then made the logical side of her wonder if dating him was really worth it. He was gorgeous, smart and seemed to understand her but Hermione knew that telling him about magic would be the type of thing you would tell your fiancée or husband, _not _a boyfriend. Well, in her humble opinion anyway. She sighed; she didn't want to end things with Tom! What was she going to do? Have two lives?

Hermione seemed rather quiet over dinner and Tom couldn't work out why. Looking at her, he could tell that she seemed to be off with her own thoughts. What was troubling her? It couldn't have been his questioning before could it? Hmm maybe he could make her loosen up? Suddenly a wicked smirk appeared on his face.

* * *

Hermione sat down on the couch with Tom after they finished dinner. Not happy with the distance, Tom possessively pulled Hermione towards him, snaking his arms around her.

"What's the matter?" he murmured in her ear.

Hermione looked up at him and something flashed in her eyes, as though she finally realised he was actually there. "Oh. Nothing… I was just off in my own little world." She replied, quietly, and looked away from him.

"You seem tense." Tom said, whilst running one of his hands up and down her back.

"Do I? Sorry." She replied, rather absentmindedly.

"What's the matter?" He asked, before kissing her neck. Noticing her shudder at his touch he smirked.

By the look on her face, Tom realised she was having an internal battle of sorts. She turned to face him.

"Nothing really…" She replied.

"Nothing?" He prodded.

Hermione huffed. "Look. This probably seems weird that I'm asking this so soon… but, do you consider us, um… together?" She blushed.

Tom looked at her rather incredulously. Of _course_ he considered them together… Hermione was _his_ and no other man was allowed to touch her. That obviously meant they were together didn't it?

"I mean," Hermione continued, "I understand it's only been a few weeks but if you want to see other people now is the time to say something-"

Before Hermione could finish talking, Tom was kissing her. It was a demanding and passionate kiss, with Tom desperately wanting to mark his territory. _How could she even ask that? Doesn't she realise?_ A low growl escaped his throat as he moved to kissing her jaw and throat. She reacted involuntarily, her hips lifting to push against his.

She audibly sighed, her breath hot on his cheek. He began kissing her neck, leaving marks that were sure to bruise… _Mine!_ He thought. Biting into the juncture between her neck and shoulder he _felt_ her moan more than he actually heard it. It vibrated through his body, and went straight to his cock; he tried to make his arousal less obvious, not wanting to scare her off. After the 'talk' they had today, Tom wanted to be the one to have her completely. He wouldn't allow any other man to take that prize. He broke from kissing her; _time to put the plan into action_, he smirked as he looked at her rather annoyed expression.

"Why did you stop?" She demanded, not even realising how cute she was laying there - hair a mess, cheeks flushed and lips pink and swollen.

"Shhh, and just trust me." He murmured and made his way down her body until he reached her jeans. He lightly ran his fingers down her stomach and popped the button open. Looking up, he her and noted her curious expression.

"Do you trust me, Hermione?" He asked, looking up at her. Hermione simply stared before slowly nodding. He smirked and slowly pulled the zip down on her jeans. "I want to show you how serious I am about you, okay?" He said, and she nodded again, watching his actions closely.

After undoing her jeans, Tom hooked his fingers in the belt loops and began pulling them down over her hips and thighs. He couldn't help but stare at the sight that welcomed him. Her legs were smooth and almost porcelain in appearance. _Perfect, _he thought. She was wearing dark green hipster underwear which, whilst not traditionally sexy, turned him on immensely. Pulling her jeans off completely, he then ran his hands up her calves and then thighs before reaching her underwear. He observed the emotions cross her face and felt her stiffen slightly when he reached her underwear.

"It's okay." He murmured, before leaning forward and kissing her gently on the lips. She sighed and he felt her body automatically relax against his.

Taking that as a sign of her consent, he moved away from her lips, almost reluctantly, and leaned back to concentrate on her underwear. He slowly slid them over her hips and down her legs. She was so _beautiful _and _neat_. It was obvious that she took care of herself in every way, he thought proudly. Tom definitely preferred groomed women above all others. He looked up at her again and noted the blush that had appeared on her cheeks at the scrutiny she was currently receiving.

"You're beautiful." He said, whilst running his hands across her now bare hip bones. She bit down on her bottom lip and didn't say reply.

Smirking, he carefully moved his hands down towards her pussy. He suddenly ran a finger across her slit; making her shudder. He grinned and leant down and kissed her whilst letting his fingers explore. She moaned as his fingers found her clit and began rubbing. He continued playing with her clit whilst another hand went under her shirt and began playing with her breasts.

"Ooooh." She moaned into Tom's lips as he suddenly dipped a finger into her channel.

_So tight and warm – it feels like velvet, _he thought, as he began pushing his index finger in and out whilst allowing his thumb to pleasure her clit.

"So tight, I want to taste you so badly." He muttered and felt her writhe in pleasure underneath him.

He broke the kiss and pulled himself up by one elbow to watch her. She looked absolutely stunning as she moaned and rubbed herself against his fingers. He was finally seeing her lose control. _You're beautiful and all mine! _He thought without pre-empt, as he stared down at her.

He watched his finger pumping in and out of her, and then slowly added another finger to the other. She audibly moaned as his fingers began pumping in and out of her more earnestly. He replaced his thumb with his tongue and he groaned as his tongue tasted her for the first time. As he licked her clit and pumped and curled his fingers inside of her, he could feel her walls begin to tense.

"Ahh, Ahhh, Tom." She moaned, completely lost to the sensations she was feeling. Her body jerked up in pleasure.

"Mmm" He moaned against her pussy. She began to grind against him. He sucked her clit with more force and curled his fingers inside her, searching for that spot that he knew made girls go ballistic. She suddenly screamed out and he felt her walls contract against his fingers. Finally, he bit down on her clit and felt the wetness spurt suddenly against his fingers as her body jerked uncontrollably.

"Ahhhh!" She shuddered against him. He pulled himself up and wrapped his arms around her, kissing her passionately. She sucked on his lips greedily, obviously not minding the taste of herself on him.

He watched her flop back against the couch and stare up at the ceiling, with a dazed expression on her face. He smiled smugly and leant down and kissed her nose. She moved to look at him.

"Thank you." She said, quietly.

"Hmm, no, thank _you_." He replied and kissed her again. "Does that tell you how serious I am about you?"

She returned his kiss and then snuggled into his chest. "Hmm, if this is what it's like then I don't know why I waited so long."

"It's only like this with me, and you'll remember that." He replied arrogantly, as he pulled her even closer towards him, possessively.

She sighed and ran her hand down his chest. "As long as I'm the only one you're doing this too."

"Of course… why would I waste my time with anyone else?" He smirked, and pulled her back in for another kiss.

* * *

Hermione stood at the entrance of _Peppers_, a newly opened restaurant located just off of Diagon Alley, and nervously smoothed down her dress. Harry and Ginny had hired the entire restaurant out for their engagement party, wanting to celebrate with friends and family _without _prying eyes. Hermione checked her watch impatiently before wrapping her arms across her middle to try and combat the slight chill in the air.

It had been two days since she had seen Tom… and, well, two days since he had done _that _to her. She felt her stomach clench rather pleasantly as she remembered how he had pleasured her. Things were moving at a rather pleasant pace and she wondered if she was happy to lose her virginity to him. If sleeping with Tom was as good letting Tom pleasure her then she knew what her answer was.

"Hermione!"

She turned and looked around. Blaise was briskly walking towards her. "Sorry, I hope you haven't been waiting long." He said, stopping in front of her. "You look beautiful." He complimented, before pulling her into a casual hug and kissing her lightly on the cheek.

"Thanks." Hermione ducked her head and blushed. "You look nice too." She complimented him and peeked back up at him. He was smirking at her, obviously catching her blush.

"Are you sure it's okay that I'm your date?" Blaise asked quietly.

"Of course… Harry and Ginny are fine with it and it's their engagement party." Hermione replied, hoping he wasn't too uncomfortable with the situation.

"Sure…" He grinned at her. _Well, he doesn't seem too awkward… But Slytherins are pretty good at masking their feelings._

"Well I suppose we should go in; can't stand out here all night." She smiled up at him and Blaise nodded.

They both walked towards the entrance and Blaise opened the door for her. Lightly pressing his palm on the small of her back, Hermione gave him a nervous grin and stepped into the packed restaurant.

Looking around Hermione recognised pretty much everyone. She looked up at Blaise who seemed to be looking for anyone who he may be friendly with. Noticing that there may not be many of those people, she hooked her arm in his and when he looked at her, gave him an encouraging smile. He grinned back and patted her hand in a comforting manner.

"Hermione, Blaise!" Hermione looked away from Blaise and saw Ginny walking up to them. Hermione noted that she looked absolutely radiant in a dark navy blue silk shift style dress she bought at that amazing clothing store they discovered the other week. Ginny's hair was pulled back in a sleek pony-tail.

"Ginny!" Hermione smiled. "You look so beautiful." She complimented and pulled away from Blaise to give her friend a hug.

"So do you!" Ginny complimented, hugging her tightly. "I'm so glad you picked the green dress over that silver one!" She smiled.

"Me too." Blaise spoke up and smirked.

Ginny grinned at him. "Oh you would, bloody Slytherin! Thanks for coming along."

Blaise grinned and then took her hand and placed a light kiss on it. "No, _thank you _for inviting me." He replied charmingly.

Ginny was about to reply when Harry came up beside her. "Hermione!" He grinned happily and pulled her into a bear hug.

Hermione returned the hug in equal fervour. "Oh Harry! I am just so excited for you both!" She said as he lifted her up slightly in his hug, making her laugh.

Once they had gotten over their initial excitement, Hermione pulled Harry over to Blaise.

"Harry, I'm sure you remember Blaise from school." She introduced the two men. Harry smiled and shook Blaise's hand.

"Of course, you were brilliant on the Quidditch pitch." Harry complimented. "Still managed to kick your arses though." He added cheekily.

Blaise rolled his eyes in a good natured manner. "Whatever Potter, I swear some of those matches were rigged." He smirked.

The boys continued discussing Hogwarts Quidditch and the girls took this as their chance to re-group. Ginny pulled Hermione to her quickly.

"Hermione Granger, are you sure you're happy with that Tom bloke… because Blaise Zabini is looking mighty fine tonight." Ginny giggled. "_And_, I don't think that he can take his eyes off of you."

Both girls turned and looked at the two wizards. Blaise looked up from his conversation with Harry and smiled at Hermione, causing Ginny to knowingly elbow her in the ribs. They laughed and both grabbed a flute of champagne off one of the trays going around the room.

"What's that git doing here? And talking to Harry, no less!" Said an indignant voice from behind them.

Both girls turned around to face Ron. Ginny rolled her eyes at her brother and took a sip of her wine. Hermione huffed at Ron's rude tone.

"Ron, he's here as Hermione's date!" Ginny said. "And there is nothing wrong with him being here! In fact, I would like to take credit for setting them up!"

Hermione stood uncomfortably between the two siblings, feeling slightly offended that Ron hadn't felt the need to even greet her yet.

"You brought_ him_ 'Mione?" Ron suddenly seemed to notice that she was there.

"Hello to you too, Ronald." Hermione sniffed. "And yes, I did invite him."

"Bloody hell 'Mione… what about that muggle bloke?"

"_Tom_ is great thank you very much Ronald, and I couldn't exactly bring him to a magical function now could I?"

"Oh, so he's your magical world boyfriend then?" Ron said petulantly eyeing Blaise.

Hermione gaped in shock. She knew Ron had been annoyed at her but didn't realise he was going to be outright rude to her.

"Ron!" Ginny yelled indignantly, causing a few glances to shoot their way.

Ron looked at the two girls in a confused manner. "Alright, alright, I'm sorry 'Mione. But just keep the git away from me." He huffed and walked away.

Hermione slouched in sadness and Ginny looked at her in pity. "He didn't even give me a proper hello Ginny." She sighed.

"Oh never mind him! He's just terribly jealous and probably already annoyed at bloody Lavender!" Ginny tried re-assuring her.

Hermione tried to smile, but simply grimaced in response. She suddenly felt a hand lightly stroke her back.

"Is everything okay Hermione?" Blaise looked at her with concern. The boys had both come back over to re-join the girls.

"Oh it's just Ron being a right prat." Ginny stated, before Hermione could answer. Harry just rolled his eyes knowingly and Blaise scowled a bit.

At the different looks of concern on each of her friend's faces, Hermione decided then and there not to let Ron ruin hers or Ginny and Harry's night. "It's fine guys… really! Now let's go find some of those nibbles – I'm starving!" She smiled at all of them. Blaise still looked concerned at her but acquiesced with her request. Harry smiled knowingly at her and Ginny breathed a sigh of relief. Hermione was not going to let her and Ron's issues ruin their engagement party.

* * *

They had been at the party for an hour and Hermione had finally loosened up. After arriving to many surprised and incredulous looks, a warm welcome from Harry and Ginny meant that none of her old – _male _– Gryffindor classmates attacked Blaise on site. Currently, whilst Hermione caught up with Arthur and Molly, Blaise was surrounded by a gaggle of women all trying to attract his attention. He caught her eye and gave her a look which seemed to translate into _'save me' _and she chuckled, shook her head and turned back to her conversation.

"So you must be loving muggle university Hermione!" Arthur said merrily as he sipped on his drink.

"You must tell us all about it." Molly added.

"Oh it is great. Very challenging, but it's muggle literature, so I am enjoying it very much."

"With Mr Zabini too… that's certainly surprising." Arthur added and nodded towards the handsome wizard who was currently giving Luna Lovegood a rather confused expression.

"Well I personally think he and Draco really needed to do something like this to open their eyes." Hermione replied.

"Ah yes, Ginny told us that Draco Malfoy was also attending… How are you finding him dear?" Molly asked curiously.

"Okay. I mean it _is _Draco Malfoy and sometimes I just want to slap him… but I think our 'truce' is going quite smoothly." Hermione smiled ruefully.

"Well, we are just so proud of you." Molly replied and gave her a hug and Arthur nodded.

"Thank you Mr and Mrs Weasley for always looking out for me." Hermione smiled and hugged Molly back. She truly loved Mr and Mrs Weasley. Despite their already massive family they had always made space for Hermione.

She smiled and excused herself to go get another canapé from the table that had been laid out. Perusing all the choices she didn't even notice Ron approach her until he had her hand on her shoulder.

"Mione…" He slurred slightly. _Merlin, was he drunk?_ Hermione wondered.

"Ronald are you drunk?" Hermione watched him lean on the buffet table for a bit of support.

"No! what makes you ssshay tha'?" He slurred at her. "Jusht 'cos I'm not as smooth ash your sly-slyther-ine boyfriend doeshn't mean a thingie!"

"He is not my boyfriend." Hermione replied indignantly.

"Sshure… whatever you say 'Mione." He responded. "Everyone can be your boyfriend… exshept me!" He said, waving his hands in the air dramatically.

"I am not talking about this with you when you're drunk Ron!"

"No! it's never a good time." He pouted. "Oh here comes Mr Perfect magic boyfriend now." He said sourly and rolled his eyes.

"Everything alright Hermione?" Blaise asked, as he came up beside her.

"She's fine Zabini, you prat! We've always been fine!" Ron scowled at Blaise whose face had turned to thunder.

"I wasn't talking to _you _Weasley." Blaise replied arrogantly.

"Well you've made it my business Zabini!" Ron puffed his chest out and stepped towards Zabini.

Hermione began to stress, what if there was a fight? _Merlin! I don't want them to ruin the engagement party and Ron looks to be itching for a fight at the moment…_

"Both of you stop it!" Hermione hissed at the two men. But it was too late. Ron walked up and shoved Blaise.

"Bloody Death Eater!" He scowled. "You lot think you can have everything!"

"I am _not _and _never was _a Death Eater!" Blaise hissed.

Hermione looked around worriedly, noting that they were starting to attract attention.

"Oh pull the other one… you and your best mate Malfoy! How could you not be one? And now you want to take Hermione!"

"Oh sod off Weasley!" Blaise responded. "You know nothing about me or my friends."

"I know enough!" He hollered. Suddenly, Hermione noted, half of the room was focused on them. She desperately looked for Harry; he was the only one who'd be able to control Ron.

Thankfully, before a scuffle could begin Harry was there. "What's going on Ron?" Harry asked his drunken friend. "Why are you starting a fight?"

"He's taking 'Mione, Harry!" Ron huffed whilst evil-eyeing Blaise.

"No he's not Ron. He's just her date… remember your date is Lavender?" Harry hinted.

"Where's Lav?" Ron suddenly bellowed and spun around, almost falling onto Harry.

"She's over there talking to your Mum and Dad… c'mon, I'll take you to her." Harry responded and took his arm to lead him off. Ron looked to be cooperating but suddenly turned around to face Hermione and Blaise.

"You are a _traitor _for bad men Hermione! First Krum and _now _this git!" He bellowed, causing everyone to stare at Hermione and Blaise.

Blaise went to move at Ron but Hermione grabbed his hand. "Just leave it Blaise." She said quietly. Blaise looked at her with concern, but she just shook her head. Harry led Ron away, who was mumbling drunkenly to himself, and turned to give Hermione an apologetic look. Hermione waved him off and turned from the table.

"Are you okay?" Blaise asked.

"I'll be fine once we go find a place by the bar." She said sternly and pulled him towards the bar area. "I need a stiff drink."

Blaise simply nodded and let her lead the way.

* * *

Blaise let Hermione lean on him as they made their way back to her apartment. It wasn't that late but Hermione was absolutely sozzled. After that idiot Weasley insulted her, Hermione had proceeded to get absolutely shit-faced at the bar.

"- and that's why I could never love Ron!" She finished.

Blaise looked down at her and chuckled. Despite how drunk she was, she was still absolutely gorgeous in her little green dress and heels. He steadied her again as she tripped on her heels yet again.

"Which floor are you on?" Blaise asked once they finally reached her building.

"Lucky number five!" She announced, pointing her finger in the air.

"Five isn't a lucky number you know." Blaise chuckled at her suddenly puzzled expression.

"Yes it is! I could should you some wicked ancient runes notes to prove it!" She huffed as he led her up the stairs.

"Why don't you explain it to me then… since I have to take you up five flights of steps."

"Oh I will! By the way… five levels, great bum work out – not that you need it." She said, waving her hand at him. Blaise laughed as she lost her footing again.

After what seemed like an age for Blaise, they were finally at the door of her apartment. She turned and leaned on her door and stared up at him.

"Thanks for looking out for me Blaise." She grinned stupidly at him and gave a mock bow.

"It was my pleasure Ms Granger." He smirked. "Will you be alright getting into your flat?"

"Suuuure…as long as I can safely leave you, knowing that you now know about the importance of number five!" She said.

"Oh I understand now. Thank you for explaining it." He smiled ruefully at her.

"Thanks for being a friend Blaise. And for sticking up for me against Ron…"

Before Blaise could even respond she pulled him into a hug and _Merlin!_ _She felt nice_, he thought. He slowly wrapped his arms around her, enjoying the feeling and smell of her. Despite all the alcohol, she still smelt like flowers. Inhaling her scent, he couldn't help but pull her closer. She sighed and leaned on his chest.

"Well, isn't this cosy?"

Blaise suddenly turned at the intrusion and pulled away from Hermione. Tom Smith stood at the end of the hallway, looking murderously at the two of them.

* * *

**Dun dun dun! Uh oh! Drunk!Hermione and Blaise have some 'splaining to do! **

**"It's not how it looks Tom! Calmmmmm down!" LOL**

**At least Drunk!Hermione doesn't slur as much as Drunk!Ronald... *shakes head* Oh Ron, you're going to need to apologise big time for that show you put on.**

**So that was the first lemon I have ever wrote... It was quite nerve wracking, to be honest. I was trying to think of "relationship timelines" and in my mind, they've been seeing each other for a few weeks so I think that their pace is quite realistic... ****I was discussing this new playing field with my Husband which led to a further conversation of what we thought were "icky" words used in that sense... we decided that words such as _moist, panties, thrust _and _throbbing member_ are all gross "sex" words. LOL. Yes, we often have strange conversations.**

**Please read and review :) the reviews are always encouraging and will help me survive doing an awful essay on Terrorism (ew) - uni is so fun, not.**

**xo Shan**


	9. Chapter 9

**Hello Readers! Hope you had a great easter :) Welcome to Chapter 9...**

**Thanks to Megii_of_Mysteri_OusStranger , CGinny, CaBuckeye, LeahHeartsEdward, nikif, AwesomePersonlolxx , ilovefireyredheads , LK_HoGwArTs_hEaDgIrL , DaOnLeeSam , Kelly Starr, jaspersluv1863 and FiOnAFiO for your reviews - they are one of the things that keeps me writing this :)**

**Thank you to all who have alerted this and/or added it as a favourite!**

* * *

_"I find no comfort / in what my mind can't comprehend" - The Wombats (Tokyo [Vampires and Werewolves])_

Tom sat at his Grandmother's house, pushing some overly boiled cauliflower around his plate. Mopping it up with some gravy from the roast, he forced himself to swallow the rubbish, along with the overly tough beef roast. His Grandmother bustled back into the dining room with a pitcher of juice. Giving Tom a big smile, she sat down.

"It's so lovely to see you dear… I feel as though I never get to see you enough." She said as she settled herself down.

"I've been busy." Tom replied, somewhat stiffly. He really didn't want to be here, but the last time he didn't turn up for a visit, the blasted woman called the police! Tom did not want to have to deal with that again just because the old woman spent too much time worrying.

"Oh yes dear, how are your studies going?"

"Quite well actually. I think I'm going to improve on my marks even more this semester." Tom answered as he put his knife and fork down… surely suffering half of this dastardly cooking was enough.

"Such a clever boy." She replied fondly. "Although I didn't realise you could actually improve on the marks you were already getting?"

"Well, pretty much." Tom said smugly. "But the better marks I get, I'll get taken on for their specialised literature program. It will basically guarantee my PhD entry." Tom explained.

"Oh, well that's wonderful news! You know, you were always such a clever boy." She smiled. "Even when you were a baby, you picked things up so quickly and never cried." She repeated what Tom had heard many times previously.

Tom looked at her but didn't really return her smile. Well, he couldn't remember much of being a baby, could he? He didn't care much for reminiscing about his childhood at all in fact… not that he really needed to, every time he came to visit his Grandmother was more than happy to dither on about his childhood and the parents who he had no memory of.

"And what about girls? Do you have your eye on anyone special?" She giggled slightly and Tom almost rolled his eyes in annoyance at the twinkle that suddenly appeared in her eyes.

He wondered if he should tell her about Hermione yet. He had put it off the last time he had visited simply because they had only just met. If he did tell her about Hermione she would surely want to meet her and that would mean bringing her here for dinner or something… and whilst Tom had never brought a girl to meet his Grandmother yet, he could only imagine the embarrassment he could potentially face.

"Not really, Gran." He replied looking down at his plate.

"Oh there is! I can just tell." She replied, sounding surprised. Tom looked up at her during her exclamation and couldn't help but notice something flash through her eyes before she gave him a warm smile. "What's her name? Do I get to meet her?" She then asked curiously.

"Gran…" Tom whined uncharacteristically. "It's nothing really. We've _only _been on a couple of dates…" Whilst Tom knew he was downplaying his relationship with Hermione, he just had a feeling that he didn't want her to meet his Gran yet. For the time being, Tom didn't want his family shaping anything to do with his relationship.

His Grandmother tilted her head slightly and nodded. "I'm sorry dear; I didn't mean to go overboard. It's just that you've never been serious about a girl and I've never seen you blush that way, she must be special… you just bring her to visit when you're good and ready."

"It's okay." Tom replied quietly, wondering when would be the earliest time he could escape from this mortifying situation. Speaking about Hermione, maybe he could see what she was doing? He hadn't seen her for a couple of days – which was quite a record, considering how often he had managed to be around her in the last couple of weeks. He knew she didn't live too far from here – just a short trip on the tube.

"Now, have a drink of juice… you haven't had a drink since arriving!" His Gran began fussing and passing him the juice jug.

Tom wasn't interested in having a drink, considering every drink his Gran offered always tasted almost _off_… _especially that disgusting tea_, he shuddered. Eyeing the orange juice as he took it from her hand, he noticed that was the juice that looked as though it was made from powder. _Typical old person!_ Tom thought, sitting it down beside his glass, but not filling it.

"Aren't you going to have a drink Tom?" His Gran asked.

"No, I'm not thirsty." He replied politely.

"Oh but you must! Don't want you to get dehydrated!" She fussed. Tom was starting to get really pissed off at her fussing.

"I'm fine." Tom replied rather tersely. "I'm not thirsty and I have water in my backpack anyway."

His Grandmother looked extremely put out for some reason. Tom decided that wasn't going to make him drink that disgusting looking "Tang" style juice.

The dinner continued for about another hour – which was almost unbearable for Tom, as his grandmother tittered on about one subject or another – most of it went in one ear and out the other. Finally as his Grandmother yawned, Tom took this as his chance to leave.

"Are you sure you don't want to stay dear? We could set up your old bed; it is getting on a bit."

"No thanks, I've got somewhere I need to be." Tom replied, leaving no room for persuasion.

"Oh, are you going to go visit your lady friend?" His Grandmother then proceeded to wink at him, something which he found absolutely gross.

He simply grunted a non-intelligible response, hoping she wouldn't continue going on about the topic.

* * *

After Tom had left, Arabella Figg sat down at her dining table with a pen and paper, and began writing immediately to the Minister for Magic.

_Dear Minister Shacklebolt_

_I hope this letter finds you well. I'm writing simply to provide an update on my mission. _

_Tom came for dinner tonight and nothing seemed too out of place. His studies seem to be going well – he tells me his marks are extremely high and he will be working to getting his PhD once his bachelor's degree is finished. It seems he is a smart boy – wizard or no wizard._

_I also think Tom may be seeing a girl. He didn't give too much away so I'm unsure where he met her or even what her name is. All I know is that he hasn't been seeing her for long, but by the blush on his face when I tried digging for information is to say anything, I would say that he is quite smitten with her. I hope this is a good thing … as in, if he becomes more entrenched in the muggle world, surely there is less of a chance of him remembering who he really is? Although I am not really sure how that magic or the potions work._

_The only problem with the night was that Tom refused any refreshments, meaning that I was unable to slip him a proper dosage of memory potion. I put some in his gravy, but it was such a small amount that I am not sure if it would make much of a difference? Please let me know and I will make him come visit me again sooner rather than later._

_The other exercises recommended, such as constantly talking about his 'childhood' seem to work quite well. Though I am sure that he often thinks of me as a doddering old woman, which perhaps I am…_

_Other than that, there isn't much to report. I must admit that I am growing somewhat fond of the boy in a way. He still holds you at an arm's length, but I can see how he would have had everyone wrapped around his finger back in his school days. He is very charming when he wants to be._

_Please pass on my regards to Professor Dumbledore. Also I hope young Harry Potter is going well. I haven't seen him around the Dursely's for a while now. Although I assume that all is well._

_Sincerest Regards,_

_Arabella Figg_

* * *

Tom quickly made his way up the stairs towards Hermione's apartment. He hoped she was home, or not busy. _No matter, I'll make her remember what's important, _he thought arrogantly. After what had transpired a couple of nights ago, he was hoping that things could again move forward. _Perhaps she will even return the favour for me? _He thought smugly, getting excited at the thought of being with her again.

Once he reached Hermione's floor, Tom stopped on the stair-well and ran a hand through his hair; ensuring that it was still presentable. He suddenly heard women's laughter which sounded suspiciously like Hermione's. Walking slowly up to the landing, he quietly watched the scene unfolding before his eyes. There was _his _Hermione, dressed for a night out, standing and laughing with that Zabini douche. He was about to storm over there and demand what was going on, until Hermione began speaking.

"Suuuure…as long as I can safely leave you, knowing that you now know about the importance of number five!" He heard her almost slur at Zabini. _Merlin, was she drunk? Why had this tosser let Hermione get drunk?_

"Oh I understand now. Thank you for explaining it." Tom almost growled audibly as he watched Blaise smile at her like she was the only girl in the world.

"Thanks for being a friend Blaise. And for sticking up for me against Ron…" _Who was Ron? _Tom thought, confusedly. Where had they been and why on earth were they together. Before he could think on it anymore he saw Hermione suddenly pull Zabini in for a hug.

Tom stood there in shock at first. Why was she hugging him? There was an agonising twist in his chest as watched Zabini return the hug and, if possible, pull her closer towards him. A feeling that could only be described as motion sickness mixed with electricity coursed through Tom when he watched Hermione lean her head on Zabini's chest and sigh. Uncontrollable anger surged through him. _How long had this been going on? Was Hermione cheating on him? _He thought bitterly. _How naïve of me to believe that she was just friends with those dolts! _All Tom wanted to do was confront the two of them. That would teach them for crossing him! Electricity surged through him, which for some reason felt extremely familiar and forced him to step forward.

"Well, isn't this cosy?" he hissed, stepping into view.

Zabini turned and saw him, a look of surprise crossing his features as he spotted Tom standing down the end of the hall. Tom observed him pull Hermione out of the embrace and turn to fully face him; Hermione staggered slightly as Zabini pulled away from her.

"What is going on?" Tom said tightly, trying to control the anger in his demeanour. He really didn't want to lose control right now.

"Look Smith," Zabini began saying and holding his hands up, "This isn't what it looks like-"

"Oh, and just how does it look to me then?" He snapped. Suddenly the air around him felt much too tight and he breathed in loudly, trying to regulate his temper.

Zabini just stared at him, seemingly unsure how to respond. Hermione, who had seemed somewhat distracted in the short time he had been talking to Zabini suddenly looked over Zabini's shoulder and, to Tom's surprise, grinned brightly.

"Blaise." She whispered loudly, tugging on his shoulder. "Is that my Tom?" She tugged harder on his shoulder.

Tom watched as Zabini turned to look at Hermione and Tom noted – with anger – as Zabini's eyes softened to look at _his _woman. "Yes, that's… Tom." Zabini awkwardly replied.

Hermione stepped out from behind Zabini and Tom had to catch his breath at how beautiful she looked, even though she also looked extremely drunk. She was wearing a green halter neck style dress that ended mid-thigh with black high heels. Her hair was styled so it flowed over her shoulders quite nicely. As he looked at the goofy grin on her face, he could feel the anger in him slowly abating. Suddenly, the air around him didn't feel so tight.

"Tom Smith!" She smiled and stepped away from Zabini, which made Tom immensely happy, and started walking towards him. "See!" She said to no-one in particular, "I told you that number five is lucky! Not as lucky as seven though…" She explained to herself whilst glancing at her fingers, seeming to count and confirm something. Satisfied with her count, she looked back at Tom and grinned stupidly.

Stopping to stand right in front of him she laughed and took his hand in hers. He gripped her fingers tightly, wanting to confirm that she had chosen to walk over to him, away from Zabini. Her other hand reached up and lightly stroked his cheek. At that, Tom felt the final fissures of his anger disappear under her touch.

"What are you doing here?" She softly asked, concentrating heavily on touching his face, a little frown line appearing between her eyebrows.

"I was in the neighbourhood and thought I'd stop by." He replied just as quietly, leaving out the fact that he was at his Grandmothers – _because that would look so smooth_, he thought sarcastically.

She smiled and the lightly ran her fingers through his hair. This for some reason, at this point in time, made him feel incredibly secure. Realising Zabini was still standing there watching him – well _them – _Tom came back to reality.

"What is going on here anyway?" Tom then asked, and immediately regretted the fact that he sounded much harsher then what he meant to.

Hermione suddenly looked troubled, though quickly masked it again. Before she could answer Zabini began speaking, causing Tom to scowl in his direction.

"We were at a mutual friend's party… from school…" Zabini seemed awkward as he spoke. "Hermione had a little too much to drink, so I just wanted to make sure she got home okay."

"Yeah, Blaise is such a great friend!" Hermione announced with conviction and turned and smiled at him. Tom eyed the two of them warily.

"Did you know he also saved me from an angry Ronald?" Hermione suddenly spun and stared at Tom seriously.

"Who is Ronald?" Tom asked curiously. _Was this the same 'Ron' they were just discussing?_

Hermione suddenly clasped her hands over her mouth and looked to Zabini, who by this time, much to Tom's distaste, was _still _standing with them.

"Weasel – ah, I mean, _Ronald_, is a very old friend of Hermione's from school… they got into an argument." Zabini explained.

"About what?" Tom questioned.

Zabini looked at Hermione who then realised that she was suddenly the centre of attention again. "I've decided we can only be friends." She explained, matter-of-factly without a care in the world – or so it seemed to Tom, who suddenly scowled at this new piece of information. Who exactly was this _Ronald_ and was he interested in _his _girlfriend? Then again, the way she looked tonight – who wouldn't be interested in her? Tom suddenly felt very smug in the fact that she was _his_.

Looking at Zabini, who looked rather awkward standing there whilst Hermione dazedly looked around as if seeing the world in a new light, Tom smirked.

"Well thanks for looking out for my girlfriend Zabini." Tom particularly emphasised the word _'girlfriend'_. "But ah…" He continued, and looked Hermione, running hand across her cheek lightly, "I think your work is done here, wouldn't you say?"

Zabini glared at him, but took a step back. "Um, sure. Hermione, are you going to be okay?" He looked at her with concern, Tom mentally scoffed at this.

"Oh, are you going?" Hermione finally registered what was going on again. "No, stay…" She said, making Tom scowl.

Zabini smirked. "No, I really should be off. Have a great night and I'll talk to you soon okay?"

Much to Tom's distaste, and Zabini's obvious enjoyment, Hermione pulled Blaise into another hug. "I'm so glad we're getting to know each other… I wish we did it sooner!" She smiled at him.

"Me too." Zabini smirked and made smug eye contact with Tom as he hugged Hermione. Tom couldn't help the sneer that broke out onto his face.

As Zabini left, Tom made sure Zabini was out of sight and earshot before he turned to Hermione.

"So you weren't on a date with him?" He asked, trying but failing to keep the upset note out of his tone.

He noticed something flash on Hermione's face… was that _guilt_? She looked up at him and her face softened, reaching for his hand, she squeezed it and smiled.

"It was nothing Tom, I'm with you." She said, suddenly sounding much more sober than the dazed and confused Hermione he initially came upon. He liked this version better.

Deciding not to respond to her affirmation he led her back over to her apartment door. Noticing her wobble a bit on her feet, he wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her into him so he was standing over her.

"Come on; let's get you inside and to bed." He ordered as she handed him the keys and he took them inside.

* * *

Hermione lay under her soft blankets. She couldn't remember much of how she got into her bed as her mind continued to whirl. The room spun a little bit and her mouth began feeling a disgustingly dry. She heard someone enter her room and sit on her bed. Looking up, she eyed Tom as he looked down at her.

"Here, drink this; it'll make you feel better." He said quietly, handing her a glass of water. "I don't know where you keep the paracetamol, so it's the best I could do."

Hermione took the water, saying a quiet '_thanks' _and drank. Whilst it relieved the dryness in her mouth, it mixed rather unpleasantly with whatever alcohol was currently sitting in her stomach. She suddenly felt very uncomfortable, laying there in the dress she wore out and with her stomach churning awkwardly. _Oh gods, please don't throw up! _Perhaps she could sneak to her bathroom and take a hangover cure potion Ginny had given her as a joke. Yes, that would help. She could also change into her pyjamas, which she knew were in there.

Sitting up, she sat the glass on her bedside table and looked at Tom. "I'm just gonna go to the bathroom… I think I have some, ah, _paracetamol, _in there somewhere… I can get changed too."

"Will you be okay?" Tom eyed her dubiously as she winced whilst getting out of bed.

"Yeah, just, um… wait here." The last thing she needed was for Tom to see her vomit or drinking strange looking potions for that matter.

"Okay." He said and quickly pressed a chaste kiss to her cheek. She smiled weakly in return and got up.

Stumbling into the bathroom she quickly opened her vanity and looked for the box of potions she always kept. She couldn't help the relieved smile that appeared when she found it and then successfully pulled out the hangover cure. _Thank goodness for magic! _She thought, eyeing the little bottle.

Unscrewing the lid, she swallowed the whole lot in one go. She had to scrunch up her face at the sour taste of it. _Oh surely the taste of this was punishment enough for getting drunk in the first place_, she thought as she quickly turned the tap on and rinsed her mouth with a bit of water to get rid of the awful after taste. She stripped and quickly changed into her pyjamas, a pair of simple cotton shorts and singlet, and then removed her makeup, brushed her teeth and brushed out her hair. She felt much better as she stepped out of the bathroom – the hangover potion was kicking into gear and that sick stomach feel was going, only leaving her feeling exhausted and groggy after such a drama-filled evening.

Walking through her bedroom door, she stopped when she saw Tom casually reclining on her bed as though he owned it. A pleasant feeling fluttered through her stomach – the first pleasant feeling she'd had since drinking all of that dastardly alcohol. He looked up at her and casually raised an eyebrow.

"Feeling better?" He asked as she sat on the bed facing him – she didn't miss the way his eyes ran up and down her body.

"Yeah… hopefully the paracetamol will kick in soon." She replied, blushing slightly at his intense gaze.

"I'm glad…" He trailed off and grabbed her hand. Pulling her towards him he wrapped his arms around her and she relaxed back into him as he spooned her.

"Hmmm." She replied, leaning against him as he ran his hand up and down her side, stopping just underneath her breast. She was _sure _he was doing that on purpose.

"You know, I think it's best if I stay… I mean I have to make sure you're okay after all." He said in a casual matter-of-fact tone as he began trailing kisses along her neck making Hermione shiver pleasantly.

"You do, do you?"

"Of course… It seems, as soon as I leave you alone you get yourself into some spot of bother or another." He held her even tighter, as if he didn't want to let go.

"Somehow I think that you staying here was a part of your plan all along." Hermione replied with in amusement.

"Why Hermione, are you suggesting that my motives are less than noble?"

"Hmmm… yes." She replied and yawned. "What did you get up to tonight anyway?" She questioned.

"Nothing interesting, just dinner at my Grandmothers. She doesn't live too far from here." He explained before yawning himself.

They laid in silence for a while, just their steady breathing breaking the quiet of the room. Hermione shifted slightly and Tom repositioned himself so her head was laying on one of his arms whilst the other circled her waist, her back flush against his chest. Hermione sighed, feeling safe and calm. She wanted Tom to stay; she felt bad about Blaise and the fact that Tom had caught them in what looked like a rather compromising position. Hermione was just glad that her drunkenness must have been amusing enough to calm him down.

From what she had worked out about Tom so far, he seemed to find Blaise as a bit of a threat. _Was Blaise a threat?_ Well he was certainly the 'safer' choice for her lifestyle, not to mention he was smart, good looking and turned out to be pretty nice. _But he never gave you a second glance at Hogwarts! _Hermione couldn't help but wonder if Blaise's newfound friendliness was simply because they won the war… she wondered if Blaise would even take a second glance at her if they were in a completely different situation. Tom on the other hand, well he was all those wonderful things too… good looking, smart, charming… she didn't know if he was exactly_ nice_… he did seem protective of their relationship though. He also acted as if nothing else mattered except for them being together. To Hermione, this was incredibly attractive considering she had spent most of her teenage years coming second to one thing or another, as well as the war taking up most of her spare time. If things kept progressing with Tom the way they were she was going to find it more and more difficult to hide her abilities from him. The inner-turmoil she felt about this whole situation was incredibly frustrating.

She noticed that Tom's breathing had steadied out, and wondering if he was asleep she whispered his name softly. When no response came, she sighed softly and consciously snuggled further into their embrace, finally closing her eyes.

* * *

_Tom was sitting on an old bus which was struggling through the English country-side in what felt like the peak of summer. He looked at himself in the window reflection and realised that he must be about 10 or 11 years old. However this was not familiar to the memories he had as a child, outside his dreams._

_The bus was packed to the brim with other children, yet Tom was the only child sitting on his own. Tom wondered why he was sitting alone, but figured at least he wasn't squished with the other snotty brats. The bus finally pulled up in what looked like a wide field which edged on a forest. As soon as the bus stopped, a bossy looking woman with her hair in a severe bun stood up awkwardly and began talking._

"_All right children, the picnic will be ready in about an hour. You may all play but stay in view of the adults please. Do not go into the forest!" She finished in a clipped voice. _

"_Yes Mrs Cole." Tom heard all the other children around him obediently chorus. Tom mused that he had never heard supposed 'fun' sound so, well, 'un-fun'._

_As all the children filed off the bus, Tom watched them all run to play in the field. Tom noticed that no one approached him, or even looked at him for that matter. That felt okay with him though. He quickly walked away from all the shrieking children, getting a feeling that he needed to walk towards the forest, even though that Mrs Cole had told them to stay away from it._

_As he got closer to the forest he felt the air cool naturally as the shade from the trees blocked the harsh summer sun. He slowly navigated his way through the forest, admiring the ancient looking elm and silver birch trees. Coming across a clearing he sat himself down against a birch tree and pulled a small book out of his worn jacket pocket to read. _

_He hadn't been sitting and reading for long when he felt something brush against his boot. Looking down, he flinched when a grass snake that was at least four feet long looked up at him._

_Tentatively looking at the snake, he decided to talk to it. "Hello." He said quietly._

_Tom could have sworn he saw the snake smile at him as it came to rest at his feet. "Hello… can you underssstand me?"_

"_Yes." Tom replied._

"_Well I am a lucky sssnake… of courssse I've heard of your type, but you're very rare – yesss you are."_

_Tom threw a quizzical look at the snake which hissed what then seemed like a bit of a chuckle._

"_The mugglessss you are with… are they alwayssss sssso rowdy?"_

"_Muggles?" _

"_Yesss boy, sssurely you know what a muggle isss? You can underssstand me after all… not a muggle trait."_

"_Are you really a snake?" Tom then asked the animal curiously and cautiously reached down to touch the scales which felt slick and cool under his touch._

"_Are you really a muggle?" retorted the snake._

"_I don't know what that is?" _

"_How old are you boy?" The snake then enquired._

"_I think I'm 10 – here, that is." Tom answered._

"_You think?"_

"_Well this is a dream and I don't remember this but I remember what I looked like at 10." _

"_Isss it a dream? Sssometimesss our dreamsss have funny things to sssay to usss. It may be the truth, jussst in a different reality." The snake replied, thoughtfully._

_Tom simply stared at the snake, who he thought was incredibly tricky._

"_If you're 10 then you're about to find out sssomething very important." The snake said conversationally._

"_Like what?" Tom asked, unable to hide the curious note from his voice._

"_Oh it'sss not my place to really sssay." The snake responded cheekily._

_Tom was about to tell the snake off for his trickery until he heard his name being shouted._

"_Tom! TOM! What did I tell you about wandering off?"_

_Tom turned to see Mrs Cole approaching in a harried fashion, her face pinched and turning a puce colour. Tom slowly stood up, and stepped away from the snake. Before he could leave the snake spoke to him._

"_Come back and sssee me sssometime boy and tell me all about your adventuresss." _

"_Adventures? What's your name Snake?" Tom whispered quickly, before Mrs Cole could see._

"_My name isss Eli… not that it mattersss, you will find me if you look clossse enough, for I am every sssnake." The snake replied, before slithering away quickly – before Tom could ask what on earth Eli meant when he said he was 'every snake'._

"_Tom Riddle! Can you, for just one day, follow the rules?" Mrs Cole blustered as she finally reached Tom in the clearing. "Well? What do you have to say for yourself?"_

"_Um… sorry?" Tom replied, watching the woman closely._

"_Sorry? SORRY? If something happened to you we'd have the government investigating us in no time! All because of a silly, selfish boy! You come with me immediately Tom Marvolo Riddle… I am TIRED of your antics-"_

Tom's eyes snapped open and his body jerked in retaliation to being awoken so fast. He looked around wildly, at first not recognising his surroundings but then felt a soft, warm body pressed up against him and realised he was still at Hermione's. He looked down at her to check and make sure he hadn't woken her. She remained asleep, hair askew across the pillow and mouth parted slightly, seemingly in a deep sleep. Tom smirked at her form and ran a finger lightly down her bare shoulder. She mumbled something, her eyebrows furrowing, before snuggling back into her pillow.

Tom found himself fully awake now, unable to stop thinking about that dream. Again, he was called Tom _Riddle_. Who was Tom Riddle? Why was he always called that in his dreams? This was also the second dream in which a snake appeared and spoke to him. Perhaps he should start writing them down? Some say that keeping a dream 'diary' was helpful… he had even read somewhere how dreams could be premonitions.

Stretching, he decided to get up and get a drink… maybe a coffee or something. By looking at the bedside alarm they had been asleep for a decent amount of time and light was starting to come through the cracks in the curtains. He carefully got up, making sure he didn't wake Hermione up and quietly left her room and headed down the hall. Ignoring Hermione's weird looking _cat _(or whatever it was) who seemed to give him death glares whenever he came over, he sauntered into her kitchen.

Waiting for the kettle to boil he decided to do some snooping around Hermione's flat. Whilst he had been there many times already, Hermione was always around so it was hard for him to be nosey. Tom would happily admit that he was overly curious by nature and he desperately wanted to know as much about Hermione as possible. Walking to a bookshelf near the kitchen Tom peered at all the books and various knick-knacks on the shelves. Tom's eyes suddenly caught a picture of Hermione and two boys. They were all wearing red and gold scarves – perhaps these were their school colours? Hermione was squished in between the two of them. Tom scowled at this, feeling jealously course through him at the sight. Hermione and the red headed boy were looking at the boy with black hair and glasses with what looked like laughter and happiness. The black haired boy was looking directly at the camera with a wide-mouthed grin. There was another picture of the two boys sitting next to the picture Tom just looked at, this time they were both pointing and laughing at the camera, wearing strange looking cloaks. Tom figured they must have strange school uniforms in Scotland. Tom wondered if one the boys was that _Ronald _that they had discussed recently. Tom huffed and sat the pictures back down. As he was about to walk back to make coffee something caught his eye. An ancient looking book stood out among what looked like two brightly coloured romance novels. Tom touched the spine of the book and a strange feeling of excitement coursed through him. Picking up the book carefully, he admired how well-read it looked. Tom idly wondered what the book was and, for some reason, immediately wondered how important it was. Turning the cover around he tried reading the title but it only appeared in strange symbols. Tom's eyebrows furrowed; he had never seen anything like this before. Just as he was about to shrug it off and put the book back on the shelf, some papers fell out from the book and Tom picked them up. Glancing at the strange looking paper, Tom noticed Hermione's hand writing. Taking a closer look he realised it must be notes on the book in his hands. Looking at her rather organised notes he read the beginning:

_The Tales of Beedle the Bard_

_Notes for: the Tale of the Three Brothers_

_What do we know about Deathly Hallows? How does this story link in with the symbol?_

Tom eyed the notes with interest. _Surely Hermione wouldn't mind if I borrowed these? _He smirked as he carefully put the book and Hermione's notes in his backpack that he had left on the kitchen counter. After all, Tom had always admitted to a curious nature…

* * *

Hermione awoke slowly to the smell of coffee. She couldn't help but let out a satisfied noise at the familiar and comforting scent. Whilst the hangover potion had worked wonders, she still felt a bit emotionally drained after all of that drama last night. First, there were the issues with Ron, secondly Blaise's feelings and then thirdly, Tom showing up and seeing her and Blaise in a compromising position! She couldn't help but let out an annoyed moan at the emotional drama going on in her life. At her moan she heard an amused chuckle, cracking one eye open she spotted Tom enter her room with two mugs of coffee.

She opened both eyes and stretched. Looking up at him she admired just how handsome he was. His hair was mused from sleeping and he had a little bit of stubble already growing on his jaw. His jeans hung low with his belt removed and a plain black shirt clung pleasantly to his chest. He smirked at her, which made her blush at getting caught ogling him.

"Hmm is that coffee I smell?" She said, wanting to move the focus away from her ogling.

He sat the cups down on the bedside table and pounced on Hermione. She laughed in surprise at his suddenly playful attitude – this was a side of Tom she hadn't seen yet. He kissed her determinedly as she lay underneath him. Smiling, she pulled the blankets over top of the both of them and pulled him down so they were a mass of blankets and limbs.

"Good morning." He mumbled against her lips.

Returning his kiss and letting her hand trail slowly down his body towards a certain area, she smiled. "Good morning." She smirked at his muffled moan as her hand lightly touched and then stroked his growing hardness.

"Now, I do believe I need to return a certain favour after the other night…" She said suggestively, as she began to move her hand up and down his shaft.

"What sort of favour?" He asked, a bit breathlessly.

"You're about to find out…"

* * *

**Oh la la la ;)**

**Well I hope that was enjoyable enough for you all... A fair bit happening in this chapter... **

**- Does anyone else remember Tang from their childhood (maybe it's an Australian thing...) - loved the stuff then, now I can't stand it (bleurgh)**

**- How did you find Tom's reaction to Blaise and Hermione? I know some of you suspected there would be some accidental magic, but that will come a bit further down the line. Just remember that the Ministry can _only _pick up purposeful magic, not accidental magic ;) I hope his reaction wasn't too much of an anti-climax (but we don't want to scare Hermione away just yet).**

**- Tom's dream! I actually really loved writing this... it was heaps of fun. I hope my snake talk isn't too awful. But I figure that to Tom, as someone who can speak parseltongue, it would sound like 'normal' english with a hiss ;)**

**- OMG he found a book! and not just any book either... Beedle and the Bard! And Hermione's notes... what will this mean? Hmmm Hermione should have been a bit more careful, a small mistake on her behalf... **

**So _please _spare a poor gal a review! I am a review whore LOL. **


	10. Chapter 10

**Welcome to Chapter 10 my oh-so-wonderful readers. This is my longest chapter yet... thankfully (for all of you) I am a great procrastinator of both university assignments and the project evaluation I am *supposed* to be doing at work (hides from boss).**

**Thank you soooo much for all of your reviews! I can't believe I cracked the 100 mark - this is way above anything I ever expected and I am just so chuffed! Feeling the love probably helped churn this chapter out so much more quickly then intended (hint, hint hehe)... oh and just blame Tom... he won't stop talking to me - on the train, in the car, at work, in meetings, in lectures - he even had the audacity to pop into a focus group the other day (the nerve)! we all know the dark lord likes to be a chatter box...**

**Thanks to: f4vivian, rakel03, Megii_of_Mysteri_OusStranger , sweet_tang_honney , nikif, CaBuckeye , AwesomePersonlolxx , ItsUpToYou , Nerys, LeahHeartsEdward , ilovefireyredheads , Kelly Starr, HereToRead84 , LK_HoGwArTs_hEaDgIrL , magentasouth , Ceralyn and purebloodprat.**

**Thanks to all who have put this on alert or favourite as well :)**

Disclaimer: This story is based on characters created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoat Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended. **  
**

* * *

"_Are you lost or incomplete / Do you feel like a puzzle, you can't find your missing piece / Tell me how do you feel / Well I feel like they're talking in a language I don't speak__ / __And they're talking it to me" – Coldplay (Talk)_

Kingsley Shacklebolt arrived back at his office at around 11pm after two weeks away in Romania on official Ministry business. He groaned wearily as he sat at his desk and rubbed his forehead. He mused that being Minister after the war wasn't quite as "cut and dry" as what he initially thought. Kingsley liked to think of himself as a pragmatic sort of bloke who "got the job done"… however, even the upper echelons of government had to put up with the same annoying bureaucratic processes of that he was plagued by even when he was just a lower ranked Auror.

He eyed his desk and noted the personal correspondence that had built up during his week away. _Thank god Ministry corro was taken care of by the Deputy_, he shuddered as he pulled the large pile of letters forth. Going through them, he noted many were invitations to all sorts of events, a couple of howlers from angry members of the public that managed to get past his advisory team - _you can't please everyone_, he sighed – until he finally came across a letter from Arabella Figg. Perking up with interest immediately, he opened the letter and read through it at least three times. Kingsley _always _had to re-read things multiple times to compensate for a terrible habit of speed reading absolutely everything. Each time he read through the letter he looked for something different. The first review was initially to detect any bad news or issues, the second review allowed him to pick up what was actually going on and the last review allowed his thoughts to mingle with what was actually being said so he could articulate some kind of response.

Kingsley couldn't help the relief that coursed through him every time he got a letter from Mrs Figg stating that there didn't seem to be any issues with Tom Riddle. Every day that went past without any alarms being activated for purposeful magic by Mr Riddle also allowed Kingsley to subconsciously relax each time he went to bed at night.

The Tom Riddle issue seemed to not be as stressful as the months passed without any pressing news. Kingsley couldn't help but feel a little bit proud of the fact that his Obliviate had worked so well – with the help of Ministry regulated memory potions of course… Not necessarily an arrogant man, as soon as he mentally praised himself, the words _"constant vigilance" _flashed automatically through his thoughts. The words of his much respected ex-colleague and friend Moody making him frown a little bit. How _long _was he going to need to worry about Tom Riddle? What was going to happen when there was a change of guard? Elections were still a good two years away, but there was no guarantee he'd keep his seat. Would he hand this information over to the new Minister, or would it become a personal mission? These thoughts seemed to always be in the back of his mind, and when pulled forth, always repeated themselves in the same order and yet, he had no answer.

Noting the issue with the memory potion that Mrs Figg had addressed, Kingsley began writing a quick response, firstly apologising for his delayed response and then directing her to keep contact with Mr Riddle in one form or another, but not to push visiting as the last memory potions would, in his opinion, hold out and the monthly dosages were merely a personal risk assessment he had made.

Signing the letter and preparing it for Owling the next morning, he then placed Mrs Figg's letter in a special correspondence folder he kept. His eyes again caught the note about Harry Potter and Kingsley made a mental note to catch up with Harry as soon as possible.

* * *

Hermione was laying on her couch reading a fascinating new book on the use of Arithmancy in law enforcement. Harry had been generous enough to send it to her, knowing it would be right up her alley, but begging her to keep it a secret as the book was for Auror training only. Hermione had chuckled at Harry's funny little letter attached to the book and could just imagine him going weighing up the pros and cons of sending Hermione the book.

Before she could finish a chapter on the _ground breaking _new theory of employing Arithmancy with muggle crime data analysis methods more effectively predict illegal spell casting trends, she heard a knock at the door. Looking at the clock and realising that it was about lunch time she wondered who could be visiting.

Opening the front door she got the shock of her life when she saw Ron standing there, hands in pockets and looking sheepish, on her doorstep.

"Ron!" Hermione breathed in shock.

"Hey 'Mione, I'm not interrupting anything am I?" He asked, looking a little worried.

"Er, no. Um, come in…" She said somewhat awkwardly and stood back from the door to allow him in. She quickly led him to the lounge room and he sat down on her couch.

"Sorry, I know you weren't exactly expecting me but, ah, I really need to talk to you." He replied, whilst rubbing his palms along his legs in a nervous manner. "You're not too busy are you?" He asked, looking up at her, pensively.

Hermione stared at him before finally snapping out of it. "Um, no, Sure. Would you like a drink first?"

"Yeah, that'd be great, thanks."

Hermione simply nodded and quickly went into the kitchen to make tea. She certainly didn't expect Ron to show up. It had been almost a week and a half since their fight at the engagement party and she wondered what made him finally decide to come and talk to her. Whilst she wasn't necessarily mad at Ron anymore she simply felt disappointed that after _everything _they had been through, the subject of who Hermione decided to spend her time with caused so much disruption in their friendship. Hermione just didn't know how to fix that fact that she didn't see any romance in the future with Ron. Walking back into the lounge room she spotted him holding the Arithmancy book and casually flicking through it. Hearing her re-enter the room, he looked up from the book.

"How'd you get your hands on this?" He asked curiously, whilst holding the book up.

"Oh Harry sent it to me." She replied as she placed the mugs on the coffee table and sat down next to him.

"He's not supposed to do that!" Ron replied with a grin on his face.

"I know." Hermione replied, chuckling. "But he knew how much I would enjoy reading it, so I'm supposed to keep it a secret." She said, letting the smile on her face remain. "How have you been, Ron?" She then asked, changing the topic for him, knowing that he needed her to steer the conversation a little for him.

Ron looked incredibly sheepish and rubbed the back of his neck. "Um, not too good, actually." He looked at her and pursed his lips. "I'm so sorry 'Mione. I've been such a prat to you. I should never have said those things at the party – but I was drunk. And a bit jealous."

Hermione stared at Ron in shock. Ron was not the kind of person to just hand out apologies. She sighed and looked up at him. "You really hurt my feelings, Ron." She responded, sadly.

"I know. I just… I guess I just feel weird at the moment you know?" He studied his hands. "I really thought we would be together… after the war. I thought you were exactly what I wanted. We would get engaged like Harry and Ginny and everything would be set. I thought it would help me… I guess… move on?" He looked at her again.

Hermione tilted her head in confusion. "Move on? What do you mean?"

"It feels like since Fred died that everyone has busied themselves with one thing or another." He ran a hand through his hair. "Harry and Ginny have each other, Mum's busy with the wedding planning, Dad's busy helping the Ministry re-structure… Bill's busy with Fleur and the baby and Percy's got Penelope. I mean, even George has the joke shop and him and Angelina have been spending a lot of time together lately. Charlie's gone back to Romania and here I am, without anything to move on with. I mean even you have university now… not to mention Ginny told me more about your new boyfriend." He added the last bit like it was an after-thought but Hermione knew that his nonchalance wasn't to be taken at face-value.

"Oh Ron…" Hermione sighed, and clasped his hand. "No one's forgotten about Fred."

"No… I know," he quickly replied, before she could say anymore. "It just feels like everyone's got something to help them with not thinking about it all the time. I feel as though I have nothing else to think about. It's always there, you know?"

Hermione looked at him sadly. She didn't really know what to say. She knew how difficult it had been for the Weasley family to loose Fred and then cope with all the other loses from the War. So many people had been touched by the death and destruction of Voldemort. She felt a pang in her chest as she squeezed Ron's hand. He suddenly looked up at her.

"The thing is 'Mione, I know we're not right together." He gave her a small smile. "Now, that is. Before was a whole other story."

"Ron…" Hermione began to speak.

"No, no it's all right – I've got this. You see, I've been talking a lot to Percy of all people about it." He gave her a rueful smile.

"That's good Ron." Hermione encouraged.

"Percy reckons that it's okay if we go different paths. For so long it was just you, me and Harry. Percy said that I was holding onto that too tightly, you know, expecting it to never change. With everything that went on it's so frightening that we are now ready to go on with our lives and it won't be the three of us doing it together anymore. I figured that maybe it would be the three of us for the challenge of me dealing with losing Fred – I mean, we all lost him but… you know."

Hermione stared at Ron, gobsmacked. He looked at her and laughed quietly at her expression.

"I know. When did you ever expect anything remotely profound from Ron Weasley, huh? Especially after my performance the other week – I'm cutting down on the fire whiskey by the way." He gave a cheeky grin that might have been a little bit forced.

She couldn't help the laugh that escaped and pulled him into a tight hug. "Ron, no matter what happens I will _always _be there for you." She whispered.

He returned her hug. "I know that now. I'm sorry okay?"

"Forgiven." Hermione replied simply.

"I'll always be there for you too 'Mione. _Merlin_, you and Harry are my best friends!" And he pulled back from the hug, smiling sadly at her.

"Come and help me make some lunch." She ordered, changing the topic and Ron's eyes lit up.

"This visit wasn't planned to coincide with lunch by the way!" He joked as he clambered up of the couch.

"Sure…" she trailed off and smirked.

"Hermione you're becoming really good at smirking since hanging with those Slytherin gits." Ron joked as they went into her kitchen. Hermione simply rolled her eyes good naturedly and laughed.

* * *

Certain things just didn't add up lately, Tom thought, as he sat on his couch staring at the items on his coffee table. He leaned forward and picked up his notebook, casually flicking through the pages and mentally running through what he had recorded in there already. The last dream he had wasn't as descriptive or as real as some of the others, in fact, where the other dreams seemed like real life, this dream seemed almost abstract in its nature. It was simply flashes of an old man with a long white beard staring thoughtfully at him. The funny thing was that whilst the old man watched him he held his hands out, and bright orange flames shot out of them towards Tom. Instead of burning him though, the flames calmly licked at Tom's own hands. Looking up at the old man, he noticed that this man had suddenly had developed an annoying twinkle in his eye… he only remembered _that _because it was a similar twinkle that always appeared in his grandmothers eyes when she dithered on about various matters during his visits to her.

Tom had, in the last week, recorded this dream as well as what he was able to recall about all of the other dreams in his notebook. Whilst he refused to read one of those "What does your dream mean?" books – because that would just be _too _embarrassing - he logically decided to outline as much detail of the dreams that he could remember. He then wrote down anything he felt was symbolic such as key words, objects or people under the dreams description, because Tom was nothing if not thorough when he conducted research.

Carefully placing the notebook down, he then turned to the book he had taken from Hermione's flat. Despite its somewhat shabby and old appearance, it seemed to hold a certain air of importance about it. Lightly running his fingers down the cracked spine, he opened it carefully and gingerly removed the strange paper with Hermione's notes on it.

Tom heaved a sigh and leaned back on the couch, rubbing his cheeks. The dreams, the strange feelings - everything in fact - had begun when Hermione had come into his life. Of course, being the thorough researcher he was, the first thing he looked for was the common denominator or trend. After a couple of frustrating hours of note taking… and perhaps even a little bit denial, he admitted that Hermione seemed to be the common thread holding all of these occurrences together. No, she wasn't the one who caused his dreams… but they only started _after _he met her… _"Lies" _the snake had told him in that very first dream, as it had coiled around Hermione. The giant snake had suggested that Hermione was _"the truth!"_ so to speak. He didn't really know what to make of that dream, until the others began occurring and other strange things began happening. What was the lie? Why would Hermione know, or be a symbol of the truth?

Running a hand absentmindedly through his hair, he then thought more about Hermione personally. He couldn't deny the instant attraction he felt towards her. It surprised him at first, whilst she was definitely pretty; he had previously gone for women who were a lot more flashy and perhaps, if he admitted it to no-one but himself, slightly vapid and fairly stupid. They were also the kind of women who you never pursued anything long-term with. That pain in the arse, Marlene, being a perfect example of his previous conquests. Hermione on the other hand, she wasn't flashy at all – in fact he had a sneaking suspicion that Hermione despised anything like that. She was definitely a low-maintenance kind of girl. For some reason, this pleased him immensely. It also pleased him immensely that she felt like an equal to him. She was very bright and, Tom mused, very _bossy_. When he remembered the time that he dared to speak over her to those two dolts Zabini and Malfoy, he smirked. At the time he was incensed at her attitude towards him, but now, if anything he quite enjoyed it. Tom had never been one for close friendships or real relationships. Sure, he had acquaintances at uni and casually saw a few women but he was more than happy with keeping people at a polite distance. Hell, he even kept his own Grandmother at a distance. However, as soon as Hermione came barrelling into his life, he knew that he wouldn't be able to treat her like he treated the rest. She wouldn't accept that and even hisown mental reaction to her wouldn't allow that. He wasn't unhappy about it though. If anything he was completely and utterly intrigued.

His physical and mental attraction to her aside, there was also something else there pulling him towards her like a magnet. He felt it when they touched, kissed and held one-another. It felt like something deep inside of him reached out for her when she was near. This feeling inside of him told him to grab onto her and not let go… Tom felt extremely possessive of Hermione; she was _his_. Tom suddenly gritted his teeth at the thought of any other man touching Hermione. She was special and his subconscious told him that only he could understand her full potential. _What exactly was her potential though? _

Realising that thinking about Hermione had completely distracted him from his task at hand; he quickly looked back down at the old book. He was so disappointed at first to realise that the book had been written in some kind of weird code that he didn't recognise at all. However, he had been ever so happy to see that Hermione's notes provided some kind of explanation to the book. He hadn't had much of a chance to read through the voluminous notes, as he had been busy – he embarrassingly noted – writing in his _dream_ diary. He reassured himself that his dream diary – _shudder_ – was for an important purpose… not because he liked sitting around analysing his feelings like some teenage girl, not at all.

He began reading through Hermione's notes. He approvingly noted that she was almost as methodical as he was. Entries were dated and information was written in a way that you would see in an report, or a literature review in a research report. After about two minutes of reading he was completely enraptured with what he was reading and was suddenly, and rather greedily, sucking in each and every word…

"… _I am not sure why I was given this. The translation is simple enough, but what does it mean?"_

"_The runic translation dictates …"_

"… _Ron said that these are merely fairy tales … why did he bequeath this to me then? Scrimgeour was suspicious about this book in particular – why?"_

"… _The Tale of the Three Brothers…by far the most fascinating … Is it symbolic of everyone's fear of death?"_

"_There were once three brothers who were travelling along a lonely, winding, road at twilight … the oldest brother, a powerful man … a wand that always wins duels for its owner … the second brother … an arrogant man … humiliate death … the stone would have the power to bring the dead back … the youngest brother was the humblest and also the wisest … Death most unwillingly, handed over his own coat of invisibility … "_

"…_Harry said he has seen this symbol before … Lovegood was wearing it at Bill and Fleur's wedding, apparently."_

"_What do I know about this? Invisibility cloak, resurrection stone, death stick"_

"_Confirmed: Mr Lovegood stated the Deathly Hallows came from the Tale of the Three Brothers. Though it is simply a fairy tale … meant for children."_

"_Harry went mad today … believes he descended from Peverells, because he has the cloak … believes Voldemort descends from the other brother … Thinks this is his secret for us to find out – to beat him … What about Horcruxes? We don't even know where all of them are …"_

"_Peverall family tree?" _

"… _the last enemy that shall be destroyed is death …"_

"… _We need to find them. Where would __**I**__ hide them, if I was him? Harry __won't __listen …"_

"… _If this was what we were meant to be looking for, he would have told Harry! Can the Deathly Hallows fit in with the Horcruxes?"_

There wasn't another entry for at least a month after this last one, Tom noted. He then observed – as he turned the next pages – that whilst the first set of notes were written almost passionately and in some cases, Tom smirked, rather _angrily _when she was talking about this Harry and the fact that he disagreed with her on many theories relating to what Hermione believed was simply a fairy tale. He continued reading the next entry; he noticed the change in her handwriting almost immediately and it made his brows furrow in contemplation. If he was an expert at handwriting, he would almost say that these notes, compared to the last set, seemed more reserved, less judgemental. The writing was less cursive and care-free… it was almost wound up tightly, trying to hold itself together…

"_We spoke to Ollivander … the Deathstick, Wand of Destiny or the Elder Wand … this was tortured out of him …"_

" … _Voldemort … the Elder Wand … Was Harry right? Ollivander said that this is not just about the twin cores or Harry anymore … ultimate power … ultimate destruction …"_

" … _Ollivander believes in the Elder Wand … Review book ASAP …"_

"… _didn't know about The Deathly Hallows though … knowledge rests with the wands …"_

"_Harry says Gregorovitch … Grindelwald must be noted … He had it! He had it all along and never said a thing! Harry was never told … Harry believes it was meant to be this way …"_

" … _Dumbledore …"_

"… _Ron wonders if we should have gone for it … we would have never made it in time … Harry noted the __**he **__already knew about it – he knew!"_

" … _the way __**he**__ took it … Harry could never … disgusting … he's now the master …"_

"_Horcruxes are the only key now … we must find them … I wonder if we were never actually meant to find it … It's real, Harry was right all along …"_

The notes abruptly ended. Tom read through them once again for good measure, feeling a strong thrum in his chest as he took in the information for a second time. He wondered what happened after Hermione realised that this Harry had been right all along. Tom noted the guilt that seemed to emanate from Hermione's notes when she conceded that he had been right.

Placing the book and paper-work back on the table, he placed his head in his hands. His head was running so quickly he didn't know where to even start. Leaning back and stretching his hands in the air he stood up and began pacing his living room, head bowed, trying to think.

Tom felt as though he was swimming in a dark pool, and he had to locate something at the bottom of it. It was there – he just couldn't see it. He could only just see what was in front of him.

He tried to emotionally detach himself from the situation, for once in his life this actually proved to be difficult. He then began to look at it from a purely analytical view point… perhaps how a police officer might view the scene of a murder – with a certain level detachment so they piece together all aspects and solve the puzzle. He felt his mind clear and he slowly shuffled through each piece of information, noting some – rejecting others. He found this type of analysis calmed him down immensely. Sitting back down, several questions remained. _What sort of school did Hermione go to exactly? The kind that teaches her to…_

He stopped suddenly as one thing in particular careened right to the front of his mind. Pulling his note book on his lap he quickly he flicked through pages until he finally found it. He quickly scanned through his entries until he found what he was looking for:

"_The girl, Myrtle (?) then told Abraxas that she wanted help with her __Runes__ homework. She said "Tom is the smartest in our year – he is the best at __Runes__."_

He couldn't help the self-satisfied grin that appeared as he read it. No, he hadn't been imagining it at all. He quickly grabbed Hermione's notes and flicked through them till he found the obliging entry…

"_The Runic translation dictates that the age is possibly 15__th__ or 16__th__ century. The book is a 1__st__ edition. A basic translation of the book indicates that these are children's fairy tales. Once I conduct a more complex analysis and translate the Runes completely, we must find out what it has to do with the horcruxes. I know Dumbledore entrusted it to me for a reason."_

Runes… He then looked at the story book and stared at the _runes _which graced its pages, almost as though he was expecting them to suddenly transform into words before his eyes and then he'd be able to read them too. He wanted to read them, Tom knew he was just as clever as Hermione – if not _more_, and his dream told him… it told him _before _he saw the book, it told him he was the _most_ clever at it... He shook his head very suddenly. That feeling of being out of control was swirling inside of him again. A warm shiver shot through his stomach then shoulders and finally, he felt it bloom in his cheeks, leaving a calming tingle. Sucking in a large breath he tried to control his thoughts. Again, he went back to the same question which had been stumping him for some time… _what exactly did this mean? _

He was being forced to chase something that he just couldn't catch. It angered him immensely; he was a high achiever and was not familiar with the feeling of failure. _Dammit! What is missing? What am __**I **__missing?_

Deciding to _try_ and be logical he grabbed a pen and paper and tried to write down his thoughts logically….

"_The dreams began when I met Hermione. Since I met her, weird things have happened. I've seen her do things that I couldn't explain. I can't explain how drawn I am to her."_

"_Strange dreams about what feels like a past I have no recollection of. Snakes speak to me… In each dream they speak to me, they seem to be some kind of catalyst – asking me to look at a bigger picture, or perhaps asking me to take a closer look at what's around me? _

"_A part of my childhood I can't remember, but it was me… School years which are completely different from my own … I felt like I was in a time period before my own."_

"_The book from Hermione's links in with things from my dreams… Runes, for example, were mentioned in my dreams. She spent months decoding this book and discussing the meaning. How old was she? She only seems to have just finished school…"_

"_She talks of magic … she talks of wands, destruction, destiny … It plays in with that book of fairy tales. Hermione doesn't believe it but Harry does. Hermione has to concede that Harry is right."_

"_Who exactly are Harry and Ron? Hermione has spoken of Ron… a friend from school?"_

"_Who is Dumbledore? Was he some kind of mentor to Hermione and her friends?"_

"_Who is Voldemort?"_

Feeling much more organised, Tom still couldn't help but feel incompletion as he re-read the notes. In frustration he shoved it all back on the coffee table and stood up. He knew that he needed to take a step away from all the information that was in front of him. Walking into the kitchen, he poured himself a whiskey and took a sip, hoping that the alcohol might at least calm the constant ragged feeling that hummed in his body ever since he read through that book and Hermione's notes.

He finally allowed the thoughts that Hermione was perhaps hiding or not telling him something come to the forefront of his mind. She had to be. Occasionally, he thought, he would see _something _flash through her eyes. Strangely enough, though Tom liked to know everything, he wasn't angry at Hermione for not telling him whatever it was that that she was hiding, they had, after all, only been together for what was . Normally, this kind of refusal to share knowledge would really bother Tom but with Hermione, he found it incredibly _exciting_. He finally had a challenge in his life. After spending so long feeling as though he was missing something he felt as though he was on the cusp of discovering what it was.

* * *

Hermione was currently huddled under a blanket on her couch having a little bit of a cry. She didn't like crying much, to her it was much too indulgent, but occasionally she felt – just like every other girl out there – that all you needed sometimes was to shed a few tears.

Ron had left hours ago. Hermione had said goodbye to him with a spring in her step – so relieved that they had sorted out the worst aspects of their differences and that he seemed to be coming around to the idea that they were never going to be another "Harry and Ginny".

Everything had been going great in her afternoon after that, until she started thinking a lot more closely about Ron's reasons for behaving the way he had in the last few months. How could she be so selfish to not truly realise, or even see the obvious pain he had been going through? The guilt slowly welled up inside of her as the afternoon progressed. If, instead of reacting harshly to his behaviour like she did, she may have actually been able to see _why _he was being so demanding of a possible relationship between the two of them – instead of thinking that he was just being unreasonable.

Then she began thinking about Fred. What started on thoughts of Fred became a domino effect to thinking about Dumbledore, Moody, Remus, Tonks, Dobby… _even Snape_… These people had given up so much and died for it, so she – a muggle born witch - could walk in that world accepted – yet here she sat, currently refusing to participate in the magical world and being selfish. Wiping a fresh set of tears away she bit her lip, trying to control a sob that threatened to leave her mouth. Trying to pull herself together, she thought about whether going off to muggle University was such a brilliant idea. The wizarding world still needed help rebuilding… it was going to take years to remove all traces of Voldemort's terrorist campaign for power.

She couldn't just _leave _though. Hermione was not a quitter. No, she was simply letting her emotions get the best of her – which is perfectly normal, _thank you very much_. Why couldn't she just enjoy this time? This wizarding world would survive… hadn't she given enough of herself to it already? No, these feelings of guilt were not necessary. Besides, what about Tom? Hermione sighed; Tom had become such a huge part of her life in such a short space of time. Sometimes she had to pinch herself at how lucky she had been at meeting him… she had become absolutely besotted by his intelligence, looks and charm. Not to mention, he was quite protective and perhaps a bit possessive. Funnily enough, Hermione didn't mind the possessiveness as much as what she might have a couple of years ago. After spending almost seven years 'mothering' Harry and Ron, to have a man keep her on her toes was exciting and intriguing. She knew if she put her foot down and told him what's what, he would listen, and probably try to boss her around right back, but he would still listen. Sometimes it was okay to let him make what she thought were the _tough _decisions – such as the momentum of their relationship. Speaking of which, Hermione was currently learning to do many things with Tom… she smirked… he had a very talented mouth… and hands… and well, she thought, he was very nice to look at. Feeling heat flood her lower abdomen as she remembered how he had pleasured her recently, she didn't know if she could hold out much longer from sleeping with him. She also knew – mainly because he cheekily admitted it – that he wouldn't be able to stop himself with her soon. Hermione was surprised that she wasn't even frightened by the raw desire he often displayed in those times they had gone further than just kissing. If anything it completely exhilarated her.

Hearing _another _knock on her door, she sighed and got up. If it was Tom, then he must've been reading her mind – and well, she wasn't expecting any other visitors to be honest. Quickly wiping her eyes and adjusting her pony tail, she hoped that she didn't look too deplorable… her eyes didn't feel too puffy, thankfully. Opening her door, she was greeted with the rather delectable sight of Tom Smith. When his eyes met hers, his face changed from impassive to anger in a second.

"What's wrong?" He demanded as he stepped towards her and looked closer at her face.

Hermione flinched slightly at his bossy tone, but answered anyway. "Oh, I was just a bit sad… nothing to worry about." She gave him a grin to try and appease him.

Tom was obviously having none of it. He pulled her towards him and ran a hand through her hair. "Who's upset you? I swear if I find out someone has-"

"Tom!" Hermione interrupted what was sure to become a rant, "It's okay. No one has hurt me… okay?"

He looked at her, a bit of a pout forming on his mouth that Hermione just wanted to kiss off. "Why were you crying then?"

Hermione bit her lip, feeling awkward. "Oh… it's um… my best friends brother passed away not that long ago. I saw my friend today and we were talking about it… I just, all these memories came back… we were all pretty close. It was very sad when it happened."

Tom simply looked at her and brushed a hand across her cheek in a comforting manner. Pulling her into a hug, she held him tightly as he ran his hands up and down her back.

After a while of standing there, he pulled away from her slightly and looked at her. "Which friend are you talking about?" He then asked.

"My friend Ron."

Hermione could have sworn she saw his jaw clench slightly at the news it was Ron who visited her. She had a rather unpleasant flashback to the night Tom caught her and Blaise after the engagement party and she had rather unceremoniously – or really _drunkenly _– explained Ron's romantic designs to him. She grabbed his hand and squeezed it slightly to reassure him. He looked back down at her and she thought she saw a look of insecurity flash through his gaze.

"I thought you weren't talking to him." He asked rather passively.

"We weren't really…" She looked down at her feet and then back up at him. "He came to apologise actually."

Tom's face became stony at this news. "Oh," he replied. She then realised, at the sight of his expression that she needed to answer the white elephant that was currently standing in the hallway with them.

"It doesn't change anything, you know. We're talking again, but we both know that we're only good as friends – there's nothing romantic there." She wanted to soothe him. He simply arched an elegant eyebrow at her, which made her knees feel just a tiny bit weak.

"So…" He finally spoke, albeit quietly. "You haven't suddenly changed your mind about _Ronald_?" A small smirk suddenly appeared on his face.

She smirked right back at him and brought her arms up around his shoulders, hooking around the back of his neck. "No… you see, there is this guy named _Tom_…" She trailed off and bit her lip, looking up at him.

His smirk was becoming more and more pronounced. "Oh… a guy named _Tom_, you say?" He said as she felt him backing her up against hallway wall, his body pressing deliciously against hers.

"Yeah…"

"And what's so good about this _Tom_ you speak of?"

"Hmm well, he's smart," she suddenly gasped as he leant down and began kissing her neck, "and incredibly good looking…" she grinned, as she felt his hands begin running up and down her body whilst he peppered kisses along her neck. "I won't say nice though…"

Tom stopped kissing her and suddenly looked into her eyes. "Is that what you _want _Hermione? A 'nice' guy?" She shuddered at his tone and the fact that his hands were still running rather pleasantly up and down her body. "Because I think I'm nice enough-"

Hermione couldn't stand it anymore. Grabbing his collar she pulled him back against her. "Less talk, you talk too much." She commanded. He narrowed his eyes at her. She suddenly felt a little bit uncertain and wondered if she should have said anything at all. Before she could say anything he crashed his lips against hers.

He pushed her back against the wall and Hermione moaned as he kissed her with such passion that she could barely think straight. She ran her hands through his hair and lightly tugged on it. Tom groaned into her mouth and the vibrations sent flutters to her stomach. His hands gripped her hips and then moved his hands so he could lift her up against him. He lifted her with no effort, and Hermione wrapped her legs tightly around his hips. She moaned as his hips suddenly grinded up against her core.

"I want you." He murmured into her mouth and ran his hands over her ass before grinding himself against her again.

Hermione pulled her lips away from his looked him in the eye. His pupils were completely dilated and excitement thrummed in the air. "Okay." She whispered back, looking into his eyes.

He smiled and leaned forward and began kissing her again. This time his kiss was unhurried and full of promise for what he wanted to do to her. He pulled her away from the wall and carried her towards the bedroom. Her legs tightened around his hips and she squeaked as they pushed past her bedroom door. He stopped walking and suddenly she was on the bed and he was on top of her, kissing her and running his hands over her breasts and shoulders. She moaned softly and ran her hands down to the hemline of his shirt. She began pulling his shirt up and ran her fingers along his back muscles as the material slid up his back. He growled as she pulled his shirt off and then began exploring his chest and abdomen. Hermione loved his chest. Tom was nice and lean, with a perfect amount of muscle definition in his shoulders and torso. He shivered as her nails raked along his sides and she grinned.

Her smugness disappeared and turned into need as he began trailing wet, hot kisses down her neck and she felt his hands at the waist of her jeans. She arched up as he undid them and began pulling them over her hips along with her underwear. Naked from the hips down, she felt him grin against her neck as he ran his hands back up the inside of her thighs. She backed up against the pillows and he crept up on top of her with a smug smirk on his lips.

"You know, there is just something I have been dying to see…" He said as his hands cupped and proceeded to rub her breasts, over her shirt.

"Mmm." She sighed distractedly as she felt her nipples harden against the fabric of her bra. She laid back and he kissed her passionately as his hands crept underneath her shirt. She moaned at the feeling of his cool hands roaming across her stomach. She felt his hands start to lift her shirt up and he kissed her harder. She closed her eyes in pleasure as he pulled the shirt up and she felt his skin against hers. He pulled her up to completely remove her shirt.

"You feel so good." He muttered against her lips as she felt her shirt come off. He pulled away slightly and she felt the shirt go over her head. He pushed her back on the bed and began kissing her chest and making his way down to her breasts. The anticipation was killing her! She had never felt so much want for a man before. It was like the magic inside her was singing… kind of like when she cast a really powerful spell successfully or solved a complex runes problem. She moaned as he pinched a nipple through her bra.

Feeling him sit up slightly she waited for him to begin removing her bra but after a short while of nothing happening she cracked her eyes open. Tom was frowning and looking at her stomach.

"Hermione, what the fuck is this?" He said and her stomach dropped as she realised what he was focusing on. The scar looked even more pronounced now that Tom had pointed it out. She felt his fingers run gently across it before looking back up at her with questioning eyes. Hermione dropped her head back on the pillow in a huff that the moment had been ruined. There was only one thought currently running through her mind…

_Damn you Dolohov!_

* * *

**Argh! Dolohov the cock blocker! I wonder how he would feel, displeasing his lord ever so much at the moment (MWHAHAHAHA)... I was seriously thinking of letting them go all the way this chapter... but then I thought "How would Hermione explain her battle scars to muggle Tom?" I couldn't just leave them out...**

**How about Kingsley's moment? Do you think bad government procedure and secrecy be a huge downfall? Working in a large govt organisation myself, I loved watching scenes from Deathly Hallows and musing how alike the Ministry is to many actual large government organisations ;) just without the magic - but plenty of the bullshit.**

**Ah and Ron not being a douche! Ok, I admit I like Ron and Hermione as _friends _- not as lovers... so I wanted them to repair their friendship. Plus I wanted to write a bit of mush ;)**

**Ok, so the big part I feel nervous about is Tom's reaction to the Beedle the Bard fairytale... I tried to capture the proper time line with Hermione's notes. And also tried to imagine how an everyday human would react reading it... so I hope that's believable. I also want to just take the time and reference 'Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows'... as I obviously referred to that quite significantly whilst writing that part.**

**So, please be kind and review... the lemons will probably come faster if you do ;) **


	11. Chapter 11

**Hello dear readers, welcome to Chapter 11... I actually got this one out faster then expected thanks to reviews and taking a bit of a break from annoying study!**

**Thank you to f4vivian, AwesomePersonlolxx, LeahHeartsTomRiddle, fandjio, Ceralyn, Megii_of_Mysteri_OusStranger, Kelly_Starr, CaBuckeye, jaspersluv1863, ilovefireyredheads, LK_HoGwArTs_hEaDgIrL, e_m_o_m_i_n_t, nikif, misszhivago and xxcandy for your reviews :)**

**Also thank you to everyone who has added this as an alert or favourite.**

**Disclaimer: This story is based on characters created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoat Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.**

**This story is rated M for a reason. You've been warned!**

* * *

_"I need you in the TV / I need you on the train / I need you every single which way / I need you in the mirrors / I need you in my bed / I need you to wreck my head" - The Wombats (Our Perfect Disease)_

"Well?" Tom demanded, as he concentrated on the scar, his mouth forming an angry thin line.

_Shit!_ Hermione panicked. How on earth would she explain such a horrible looking injury to him? _What a mood killer!_ She thought angrily as she mentally went through a list of possible excuses she could use… She then humorously entertained telling him the truth: _'Oh that old thing? Oh darling don't worry… it's just a curse from a horrible dark wizard… he was only trying to defeat and kill a group of teenagers for his master – but not to fear, even though he tried killing me; I'm okay now!'_

What would she say… car crash? animal attack? She realised she was running out of time when she felt Tom's fingers brush against the scar again, tracing it incessantly with his questioning fingers whilst she laid there in silence.

"It's nothing really…" Hermione said quietly as she looked down at Tom. He looked up at her from his position, seeming surprised that she had finally spoken. The look of surprise then turned into one of anger.

"What do you mean _nothing_? It's huge and well; you don't just get scars like that from _nothing_." He said, somewhat sarcastically.

Hermione huffed and then put on her best face. "What I mean to say is that it happened accidently."

"How?" He bossily demanded.

"Well… it happened when I was about 15… I, um, was visiting my aunt and uncle's house over the summer holidays. My cousins and I ended up sneaking out and playing in an abandoned factory not far from their house. Normally I wouldn't have but they kept saying that I wasn't _brave_ enoughand I wanted to prove them that I was… We were mucking around – just being kids. As I was running through the building, I knocked into a table and a sheet of stainless steel fell right onto my stomach. It sliced it right open… I was lucky they were able to patch it up as well as they did." She finished and watched him as he took her story in. Well, parts of the story were true… she did get the scar when she was 15… and that summer she had mucked around doing stupid things with her cousins, to take their minds off of the fact that her Uncle had sliced his leg open in exactly the same way in an unfortunate work accident.

Tom did nothing at first, except simply stare at her. Hermione tried not to fidget under his intense gaze, feeling that if she did, he would know that the story was a lie. She felt as though he was examining every inch of her, even those parts that remained a secret to everyone but her. Without moving his eyes from hers, his head tilted slightly and he ran his tongue along the scar, lightly – almost tentatively – and a feeling of pure, burning need shot through her body, causing her to shiver under his touch.

She took in another shuddering breath as he dropped eye contact and moved his lips to her breasts. He pulled her up and peppered kisses across her breasts as he deftly removed her bra. Hermione felt her nipples harden in the cool air and Tom's fingers slid over them, causing her body to arch as a pleasant twinge shot through her entire body. He dropped his lips to one breast, taking her nipple in his mouth and flicking his tongue over it, causing Hermione to let out a soft whimper. His other hand cupped the other breast and he slowly rolled and pinched her nipple between thumb and forefinger. Hermione sighed and brought her hands to run through his almost-black hair, brushing some stray strands away from his eyes. He looked up at her and a smirk played at his lips.

"You look awfully smug." She murmured; allowing a small grin across her lips.

He simply arched an eyebrow at her and shifted until his lips were barely an inch from hers. Kissing her quickly on the lips he proceeded to bury his face in her hair and neck, kissing and nibbling her ear lobe.

"Spread your legs." He murmured huskily against her ear.

The command sent a pang of desire straight to her sex, and she automatically rubbed her thighs together in want before allowing them to part slowly for him. She watched as he slid between her thighs, shifting so that his stomach was now touching hers. The lack of space between them became even more apparent as his leant down and kissed her furiously. Her hands ran across his forearms to his hands, which were currently cupping her face.

He broke from the kiss and began kissing and nipping at her neck. Moving her hands up his arms, she let her hands travel down the planes of his back, admiring the smoothness of his skin.

One of Tom's hands began stroking her shoulder and began worked down her body, touching every part of her from her breasts to her hips. Hermione gasped as she felt his hand cup her mound, his fingers parting her wet folds; allowing his thumb to brush against her clit. He began rubbing it more ardently, causing her to grind desperately against his hand as he began to kiss his way down her body.

She moaned as she felt his tongue suddenly on her clit and his fingers dip into her, slowly stroking and exploring before beginning to pump in and out, curling slightly, making her shudder with pleasure. Hermione quivered as his fingers stroked against her walls, making her toes curl and her hips involuntarily jerk towards him.

As her body tingled in pleasure she began thrusting against his fingers, a desperate need building in her. Losing all control of her movements, she grinded shamelessly whilst she felt a growing pressure on her clit from his tongue.

"Ah… so close…" she moaned in-between breathy pants.

He hummed against her clit. That undid it for her, as she felt her walls clench around his fingers and she orgasmed quickly and without any control. Before she could relax though, his lips were against hers and he kissed her intensely.

As he kissed her, he removed his pants and boxers and she felt his hardness brush up against her inner thigh. The fact that they were both now naked, writhing against one-another, made Hermione suddenly feel a little nervous; this was a big moment in her life!

As if sensing her sudden nervousness, he pulled away from their kiss, just as she felt him brush against her entrance. "Relax…" He ordered quietly and shifted against her so that her thighs spread a little further out. "I can't wait to feel you…" He murmured against her ear and she shuddered as his breath tickled her neck.

Before she had time to even respond, he pushed his cock into her. Her breath hitched at the stinging sensation of feeling him inside her. Tom let out a satisfied groan as he pushed further inside of her, before he completely stilled, allowing the both of them to get used to the feeling. Hermione was surprised to find that it didn't hurt as much as what she thought it would, as the stinging sensation decreased, only to be replaced by a feeling of fulfilment.

He leant down and peppered soft kisses on her face as he began moving inside her. Moaning with pleasure, she shifted and wrapped her legs around his waist, pulling him closer and allowing his cock to go even deeper. Tom grunted and brought his thumb down to her clit where he fervently began rubbing it again as he thrust in and out of her, allowing himself to go deeper with each thrust.

Hermione's breathing became more and more erratic as she concentrated on the many feelings swirling inside of her. She felt as though everything was sliding away except for Tom – everything about him in this moment enraptured her.

"_So close…" _She whimpered; grinding against him desperately. In response, he moved harder and faster, causing her to gasp as she clenched tighter around him. She knew she was close and screamed out when she felt him pinch down on her clit as a wave of pleasure rippled through her, signifying her release. Tom wasn't far behind, and started moving even faster before she felt him come inside her with a loud shudder.

The two of them collapsed against one another, breathing heavily in their release. After a short time, Tom slowly pulled out of her, and Hermione felt him shift and settle next to her. He wrapped an arm around her and pulled her against him possessively. She snuggled into him and let sleep claim her, too exhausted to notice the smug smirk on Tom's face.

* * *

Draco made his way through the Manor, wandering the halls with no real intent or purpose. Now that he had spent some time in the muggle world, he realised how ostentatious his childhood had actually been. He smirked as he admired the many priceless vases and paintings that lined the hallway he was currently walking down. Draco would never pretend to be someone who was ashamed of his wealth, because quite frankly Draco didn't believe in tact when it came to the accomplishments of the Malfoy family. Life was _too _short, in his opinion, to go around acting humble about something that was so great. Sure, he had done a lot of growing up since the war and the humiliation of his father's imprisonment, but that certainly didn't turn him off his wealth. He vowed he would never be like his father. Draco knew that power, and the future of his family, laid in his acceptance of things outside the pureblood sphere. He was surprisingly happy to accept the muggle influence that was surely to become stronger in the wizarding world with the defeat of the Dark Lord and the subsequent defeat of the idea of pureblood supremacy. Merlin, he was glad the Dark Lord was gone from his house! Draco shuddered as he remembered having Voldemort in his house and the amount of pressure put on his family. After his father lost the prophecy globe in the Department of Mysteries it seemed as though the Malfoy's couldn't do anything right. He found himself at the door of his father's study and out of curiosity, decided to enter.

The room had obviously not been used in a while, though was still kept impeccably clean by the army of house elves. Draco wandered around the room, casually inspecting the many artefacts his father had collected over the years, noting many of the dark magic items had been confiscated by the Ministry once the war had ended. He walked over to the study bureau and idly picked up a quill, twirling it in his fingers as he looked around the room. This would all be _his _one day… well it practically already was, as he doubted his father was ever leaving Azkaban. Lost in his thoughts, he didn't notice he had drawn the attention of one portrait in particular.

"Oh thank Merlin!" It bellowed and Draco dropped his quill in surprise and spun around to face the voice. "I was worried it would be that blasted woman in here to cry again!"

Draco eyed the portrait in shock. "Who's crying?" He questioned.

Abraxas Malfoy eyed the boy imperiously. "Narcissa, of course! She's in here all the time blubbering about my good-for-nothing son. Those two cold fishes must have actually been in love-"

"Don't talk about them like that." Draco replied with a quiet confidence that he wouldn't have displayed a few years ago.

"I'll say what I like boy." Abraxas replied. "Lucius couldn't even live up to the Dark Lords-"

"The Dark Lord is dead!" Draco cut across him quickly. "It matters no longer what he did to _fail _him." He sneered.

Abraxas looked thoughtful. "Yes, such a shame, he had great ideas for this world."

Draco decided to ignore that last statement. He wasn't about to argue with a portrait over the Dark Lord or his ideologies. Draco didn't even know his Grandfather that well, he had died when he was quite young and before then was quite cold and unapproachable towards Draco. In fact, Draco was quite sure that all his Grandfather viewed him as was a necessary heir to keep the Malfoy line going. Just as he was about to find an excuse to leave, the unmistakeable 'pop' of a house elf distracted him. He turned to face the Elf, who was now nervously standing on the other side of the desk, wringing his hands together.

"Jub Jub is sorry to disturbs Master Malfoy, but there is visitors who wishes to speaks to you!"

"Who are they?" Draco quickly asked, noting his Grandfathers sudden interest as well.

"They tell Jub Jub they is Aurors! Harry Potter is here, Master Malfoy!" The Elf squeaked, unable to keep the excitement from his voice. "I tell them you is okay to talk to them! Jub Jub hopes that is okay with Master!"

"Yes, yes, fine. Where are they?" _What on earth was Potter doing here? _Draco thought. In fact, why were Aurors even here? He thought all the legal matters had been taken care of a few months ago.

"Jub Jub has led them to the tea room Master. Mistress is already there."

"Thank you." Draco tersely replied. He bid his Grandfather a polite goodbye and apparated to the entrance of the tea room, which was located on the other side of the Manor. Walking through the entrance he noted his Mother, Potter and a burly man who looked to be in his mid-thirties seated at the table. They all stood when he entered.

"Draco." Narcissa said, looking relieved that she wasn't entertaining on her own anymore.

"Mother." He replied, before turning to the two men standing beside her. "To what do we owe this pleasure?" He asked in a neutral tone.

"Mr Malfoy, my name is Auror Marc Beretz." The older man said, holding his hand out for Draco to shake.

Draco shook it firmly and nodded towards him. "Nice to meet you." He responded.

"You of course know Harry Potter. He'll be shadowing me on this case as part of his Auror training." Beretz added.

In a move that surprised Draco, Harry held his hand out to shake. "Malfoy." He said, with a bit of a smirk. Draco shook his hand and smirked back at him.

"Potter. How have you been?" Draco asked.

"Good, and yourself?"

Draco felt that this was disgustingly polite and longed to start poking fun at his old Hogwarts nemesis, but he figured Potty would be on his best behaviour for his Auror training.

"Fine, thanks." He replied before they all sat down again.

"I suppose you're wondering why we are here." Beretz said, once they were settled. "As you know, after the war, the Ministry began _'Operation Kerang'_…"

"Capturing of missing Death Eaters?" Draco quickly remembered to Ministry project as it involved himself and his father.

"Exactly." Beretz nodded.

"I thought all Death Eaters had been detained?" Narcissa asked, with a furrowed brow breaking her normally cool face.

"So did we, Mrs Malfoy. Any Death Eater we hadn't captured we thought had either died in the battle or been, erm, disposed of by, ah, Voldemort before the battle."

"If you don't mind me asking Mr Beretz, why are you here? We all know Lucius is now in Azkaban." Narcissa said, with a slight quiver to her voice.

Before Beretz could respond, Harry quickly cut in. "There's been a sighting… of a Death Eater that is."

"What does this have to do with us?" Draco replied, immediately feeling defensive. "We aren't 'harbouring' anyone if that's what you want to know."

"Who is it?" Narcissa then asked curiously.

"Rabastan Lestrange." Beretz answered.

Draco's eyes widened in surprise to the news and Narcissa emitted a slight gasp.

"Rabastan?" Narcissa exclaimed. "I thought he was dead!"

"Are you sure it's him?" Draco asked with uncertainty.

"The sightings were able to be verified." Harry added. "It was definitely him."

Draco and Narcissa sat there in shock. Draco thought Rabastan had been killed in the battle.

"The reason we're here is because we know that whilst he has been in relative hiding, he may try to contact you, considering the family _link_." Beretz said, looking directly at Narcissa, who in turn blanched at the suggestion.

"Look, I know my sister was married to his brother, but we weren't that close… even with the Dark Lord…" Narcissa trailed off uncomfortably.

"Never the less… with your high profile, it would be prudent to ensure you be extra careful. Rabastan may try to contact you. If he does, we want you to contact us straight away."

"I just… I just can't believe it!" Narcissa said in shock.

"Neither can we; he's obviously clever enough. He's managed to evade the Ministry for this long, but it's only a matter of time before he slips up." Beretz replied.

"Mrs Malfoy, do you have any information or documentation that may assist us in locating him?" Harry asked politely.

"Well… not really." Her eyebrows furrowed in thought.

"Actually, we do want you to assist with something." Beretz asked. "We know from previous interview transcripts that Bellatrix bestowed you access to the Lestrange vault. We need you to give us access to see if there is anything that will lead us to him."

"Oh." She responded.

"Mrs Malfoy, you do understand that if you don't comply we will issue you with a warrant. This will make the matter public which is something we do not want and I'm sure you would prefer to not have more attention on your family." Beretz explained in a bossy tone.

Before Draco could reprimand the wizard, Harry spoke up. "Mrs Malfoy, I know you've been through a hard time, but if you help, the Ministry may offer to lessen some of the restrictions that have been put on your family… such as travelling, for instance."

Narcissa's eyes perked up. "Do you mean, they'd allow us to travel outside Britain?"

"Quite possibly," Beretz replied. "Other families have been rewarded in a similar fashion for helping us with _Kerang_."

"So, do you think you may be able to help Mrs Malfoy?" Harry asked, with a kind smile on his face.

Narcissa looked deep in thought. Draco reached across the table and took her hand in his and gave her an encouraging smile. If they were able to travel, it would mean that his Mother wouldn't constantly be cooped up in this house with nothing but her memories.

"Okay, yes I will help." She answered Harry.

"Excellent." Beretz said, with notable relief in his voice. "I'll just need you to look over these forms Mrs Malfoy and we can get things underway…"

After an hour of going through various forms the Auror and Harry were finally going. Draco stood and stretched and walked over to the fireplace. He noted that Beretz was now talking to his Mother about his older sister, who apparently had been close to her in Hogwarts. It was nice for his Mother to be able to talk about something so frivolous, he noted, as he took in the warm smile she gave when he reminded her of his sister and told her about what she had been up to lately.

Unfortunately Draco was brought out of his reverie by Potty coming and standing next to him.

"Thanks for your help, Malfoy." Harry said conversationally.

"It wasn't really my help." Draco shrugged.

"None-the-less… So Hermione has told me all about uni…"

"Oh yeah, Granger isn't so bad once you get past the fact that she is a complete know-it-all."

"Yeah, she said you aren't so bad once you get past the fact you are an arrogant prat." Harry replied good naturedly. Draco simply scowled at him.

"So I take it you've met her boyfriend then?" Harry asked. Draco couldn't help but notice the note of curiosity in his voice.

"And you haven't Potty? I'm surprised she didn't consult you straight away as to who she was allowed to date…" Draco sniggered.

"Oh get on with it Malfoy." Harry rolled his eyes.

Draco chuckled. "Yes, of course I have met him… he is, after all, in class with us."

"And?"

"And he's a giant, arrogant prat who acts like he owns Granger or something."

Harry quirked his eyebrows in disbelief at Draco. "I'm sure if you dislike him so much, then he probably isn't that bad. In fact, we'd probably get along." Harry sniggered.

"Whatever, Pothead, just wait until you meet him." Draco retorted.

* * *

Tom lay awake staring at Hermione. He had awoken about 10 minutes ago, whilst she remained in a deep sleep. He smirked as he looked at her. Last night was… well, how could he answer that? Despite the fact that she was a virgin that was some of the best sex that he had ever had.

As she lay there stomach down, a mass of curly hair covering her face and the blankets bunched around her hips, leaving her back exposed, Tom couldn't help but wonder about the everything that had happened so far.

He had left his flat earlier, after going through that book of hers and his own notes, needing fresh air. He knew that it was something big; he just couldn't work out the final missing piece. He knew Hermione was the link to everything though, the strange dreams he was having, the strange feelings he had felt around her. Then there was the strange things about her… the book, the weird behaviour… hell, even the toasted cheese sandwich incident – no, he hadn't forgotten about that either.

His walking had led him to her door and when she answered crying he had to try and hide the rage that someone may have hurt his woman. When she explained she was sad about losing her good friend and that her and this _Ronald_ had decided to 'patch' things up, he couldn't help but feel jealousy course through him that there was another male back in her life that he had to worry about. _It was bad enough having to worry about fucking Zabini_, Tom thought with a scowl, let alone another bloke who may have romantic feelings towards her.

He didn't know why she was so obviously lying about that scar on her stomach either. She must have her reasons for it thought. He couldn't help but immediately wonder that she was lying about it because someone had actually hurt her. If he found out that someone had hurt her, well, heaven help them if he ever found out who they were. He would beat the living shit out of them for a start. Nobody hurt his Hermione and got away with it.

He didn't call her out on her lies though, because, by that stage, all he wanted to do was fuck her. He had been waiting for weeks now to sleep with her and playing the understanding "slow-moving" boyfriend was grating on his nerves… he was used to getting women into bed at the click of his fingers. He knew Hermione would be worth the wait though and he was right. The surge of power that shot through him when he came was almost indescribable. He had _never _felt that before with a woman. Just thinking about her writhing all tight and wet underneath him made him hard all over again.

He smirked as he looked down at her and ran his hand up her back, trailing her spine until he reached her crazy mass of hair. Brushing it away from her face, he lightly stroked her cheek before running his fingers back down her back, tracing indistinguishable shapes as he did so. He felt her stir slightly under his touch and realised that she was waking up. Leaning down, he began trailing wet kisses up her back, and rubbing her shoulders gently.

"_Merlin_, that feels good…" She sighed as she woke up slowly.

Tom stopped and chuckled a bit. "Who's Merlin?" He asked huskily against her neck. He felt her stiffen slightly under his touch.

"Oh, um, nothing… it's just something my friends and I say – you know, instead of using the lord's name in vain? We started saying it in school as a joke…" She mused sounding much more awake than before and laughing slightly.

"Oh." He replied. "Well, I'm glad I can evoke such terms then…" He then said seductively in her ear.

"Of course." She grinned.

"How do you feel after last night?" He asked, now casually massaging her back.

"Mmm, good." She replied and then sighed in enjoyment as his hand ran over a particularly tense spot.

Tom simply smirked and continued running his hands up and down her back, each time allowing his fingers to suggestively brush further underneath the blankets and touch the top of her backside. She wiggled her bottom in appreciation of his touch; it was obvious she wanted him to go further.

Tom lightly pulled back the sheets and admired her small, pert ass. He decided that it had a nice roundness about it, which just begged for him to squeeze it. He moved one of his hands down and lightly traced his fingers across it before squeezing it rather harshly. This seemed to turn her on, as she hummed in appreciation.

He shuffled down the bed and parted her legs. Shifting so he was now in between her legs, he ran his hands up and down the backs of her thighs and ass, squeezing her again. Leaning down, he placed a light kiss on her lower back and worked his way up until he rubbed his nose against her cheek and kissed her softly, allowing his body to encase hers.

"Good Morning." He said against her lips.

"Good Morning to you too." She replied and Tom smirked when she gasped as she felt his hardness rub against her lower back. She immediately pushed her ass up, grinding against his body.

"Do you want something Hermione?" He murmured in her ear, before slowly nibbling on it. In response, she rubbed her ass against him again. "Hmm, I won't know unless you tell me." He whispered teasingly in her ear.

She huffed and he watched in enjoyment as her cheeks turned a deep shade of pink. "You." She replied quietly.

He reached down suddenly and ran his fingers through her pussy, noting how wet and ready she was already. She hissed as his fingers continued to languidly run in and out of her.

"I guessed you wanted me… but what do you want me to do?" He asked.

She didn't answer, but simply moaned as one of his fingers dipped into her tight channel.

"If I take a guess… do you want me to _fuck_ you Hermione?" He teased and she immediately bucked her hips at his words.

"Mm, _yes_." She whispered.

"Say it." Tom ordered. "Say exactly what you want me to do with you." He pressed another finger into her pussy for good measure.

She moaned loudly. "I want… I want you to, to fuck me." She gasped as his fingers pumped in and out of her.

Tom smirked. "Well, if you're asking." He replied, kissing her cheek before moving back down her back. She went to shift and roll over but Tom held her shoulders down. "Ah, ah," he reprimanded. "You stay where you are." He ordered.

"But…" Hermione went to respond but shushed by Tom immediately.

"Don't question, just enjoy." He said as he removed his fingers from her pussy and grabbed pillow. Using one hand to pull her hips up, he put the pillow underneath her hips so they were slightly propped in the air. Running his hands over her ass again he gave it a light squeeze. He kissed his way up her back again and nuzzled his face in her curly hair.

"You feel so nice…" He trailed off as he settled over her. She whimpered in need as he guided his cock towards her entrance. As he brushed against her entrance he let out a shuddering breath in response just how wet she was. _Well, someone likes morning surprises_, he thought smugly.

"Please…" She moaned as he pushed himself slightly into her, groaning at how tight she was.

Her plea set something off in him and he immediately plunged into her, moaning at the feeling of being encased in her warmth. All he could think about was how much he needed her. He began thrusting in earnest, this position allowing him to go in a completely different angle compared to last night. She bucked her hips in pleasure and groaned as he pumped in and out of her.

He couldn't believe how good she made him feel, he felt powerful as he completely pulled out before slamming himself back inside of her heat. She gasped and writhed underneath him, his hands grabbing onto her hips forcefully to keep her still. He leant his head on her shoulders, allowing leverage as he continued fucking her, continuing to go deeper and deeper as she thrashed underneath him, her hands trying to madly grab for anything as she tried to control herself. He could feel her tightening around him and he angled himself so every time he slammed into her he was hitting around her g-spot. She let out a strangled yelp as he felt her pussy clamp down and a velvety warmth encase his cock. It made him grunt in pleasure and he sped up, feeling incredibly turned on by the sound of their bodies joining. Finally, and thankfully, he felt his climax overtake him and he pushed himself into her as deeply as possible, holding her down as he came.

Collapsing on top of her, he fought to catch his breath. Pushing her hair to the side he peppered kisses across her cheeks and finally her lips. She keened in pleasure at his attention and allowed him to pull out of her, before she rolled over and kissed him passionately and languidly.

"Nice wake up call." She grinned and he chuckled. "You are setting quite high expectations for me now." She added.

"Expectations only for _me_." He replied in a bratty tone before pulling her towards him possessively.

She simply laughed and replied. "Yes, yes, only for you."

* * *

**Weeeelllll, to all those wanting the smut to hurry up, how d'ya like them apples? hehe, Oh, and put your hand up if you'd like to wake up to Tom Riddle sexing you up? *hides from husband and puts hand up* lol**

**First of all, the lyrics dedication up the top... if you haven't heard of the Wombats yet, get yourself acquainted... I saw them live this week and they were amazing. That song in particular really helped writing the smut scenes... so check them out :)**

**Secondly... the injury/scars. Obviously Tom didn't believe her, and that was kinda the point... I didn't want him to believe her... BUT the injury is quite possible. My husband has a massive scar on his leg from a sheet of stainless steel falling on it and cutting it right open. He now has a wicked scar that's about 12 inches long. Stainless steel is quite sharp and could essentially be a "cutting hex" of the muggle world hehe.**

**OMG there is still a death eater out there! How do you think this will impact on our other characters? Did you all just snigger when Harry said he'd like Hermione's new boyfriend because Malfoy didn't? MWAHAHAHAHA**

**I hope you all enjoyed it and the scenes were believable ;)**

**Spare a poor gal some reviews xox I do reply to all my reviews :D**


	12. Chapter 12

**Welcome to Chapter 12!**

**I have no idea how I am managing to post so frequently, I think the wonderful feedback is spurring me on... So many thanks to: **

**magentasouth, f4vivian, fandjio, LeahHeartsTomRiddle, AwesomePersonlolxx, ilovefireyredheads, Anonymous, Shamonti, Kelly Starr, Megii_of_Mysteri_OusStranger, CaBuckeye, LK_HoGwArTs_hEaDgIrL, nikif, psalmofsummer, e_m_o_m_i_n_t, C-berries and hjaspersluv1863 for all of your lovely reviews :) they mean a lot!**

**Thank you to all the people who have favourited or alerted this story as well!**

******Disclaimer: This story is based on characters created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoat Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.**

**This story is rated M... you have been warned!**

* * *

_When I was just a baby my mama told me Son / Always be a good boy / don't ever play with guns / But I shot a man in Reno / just to watch him die – Johnny Cash (Folsom Prison Blues)_

He sat at the back of the dirty muggle pub; it was one of those long, forgotten places that were usually located at the back of a small village – only servicing those undesirables who wanted to remain as unnoticed as the place itself. Rabastan Lestrange quietly watched the room from his corner vantage point, observing each and every patron – though, admittedly there weren't many of them - and silently musing on each one of them.

Swirling his beer, in what the Muggles called a 'pint', he recalled the previous year on the run. He couldn't believe that he had managed to evade the Ministry for this long. According to some of his sources, the Ministry had some Operation being run by the Aurors to capture all remaining Death Eaters. Rabastan smirked, obviously not _all _Death Eaters… since he had managed to not even meet one Auror whilst in hiding. It was almost _boring _as to how easy it had been to evade capture so far – he hadn't even duelled anyone yet. Although, he was pretty sure that for a long time they had thought him to have been killed in the battle of Hogwarts, considering he hadn't been standing beside his foolish older brother and those idiotic Malfoys, just waiting to be arrested once the Dark Lord fell.

No, as soon as the Dark Lord's body had touched the ground, Rabastan high-tailed it out of there so quickly one would have wondered if he were actually there at all. So whilst all of those idiots were now rotting away in Azkaban or dead, Rabastan was sitting in a pub enjoying a beer. Even though he had to spend most of his time around Muggles – which was punishment enough in his opinion – it was still a lesser punishment to Azkaban. Plus, he had to grudgingly admit that there were some upsides to the Muggle world such as beer, porn and jeans… _yes_, Rabastan mused,_ it would be quite alright hiding out here for the time being_.

But like Rabastan had already mused, he was _bored_. He was bored with being on the run, not fighting _and_ having to limit his use of magic so as to not attract too much attention to his existence. How Muggles lived their worthless lives without magic he would never understand. He missed being the pureblood – almost royal – wizard that he had been in his old world. Sure, he had spent a lot of time in Azkaban, but at least the last name _Lestrange _had meant still meant something in the wizarding world – either being fear or respect… but it was still something.

He wondered what Rodolphus was doing at the moment. He had to roll his eyes at his older brother and the foolish mad man he had become. Rabastan had once worshipped his older brother, when they were growing up. Rodolphus was once smart, charmingly arrogant and a force to be reckoned with. Rabastan acknowledged that Azkaban had probably been one Rodolphus' greatest downfalls, but none could be compared to his awful luck at being 'love matched' with Bellatrix Black. Rabastan shuddered at the thought that if he was born first, he would have had to marry that woman. Sure, on all fronts he had supported Bella; there may have even been a time when they were first all inducted as Death Eaters where he had admiration for her power as a witch… no one could cast a _crucio_ quite like Bella… except for the Dark Lord, of course. However as the years wore on, Rabastan's patience for Bella drew increasingly thin, as did his respect for his older brother. _Merlin_! He couldn't believe Rodolphus let Bella be so openly infatuated with the Dark Lord! It was embarrassing. Rodolphus should have pulled rank as her husband – loveless marriage or not – and demanded she show some decorum as a Lestrange woman. It was especially embarrassing because it was obvious that the Dark Lord was not even remotely interested – not that he ever seemed interested in any woman, Rabastan thought. The only reason he tolerated Bella's crazy obsession was because of her true dedication as a Death Eater. If it were Rabastan, well, he certainly wouldn't let his woman prance around like that. Rabastan was far too arrogant to even allow such an occurrence – even if it _was _the Dark Lord. Well, he smirked to himself; he had every right to be arrogant. Even after a stint in Azkaban, women had told him how attractive he was. He may have been haggard coming out of there, but healthy eating, some helpful potions from Snape and exercise had pretty much restored him to his aristocratic good looks. Those good looks seemed to attract both muggles and witches, something which Rabastan almost saw as a fun game to play. Especially because he was so bored at the moment, and when Rabastan was bored he needed to play. Looking in a particular direction in the pub, he had finally decided who would be the lucky play-mate for his games…

So far the woman had always turned up alone; nursing a glass of wine into the wee hours of the night for the last three nights that Rabastan had chosen to spend at this pub. Rabastan wasn't stupid, and noticed the covert glances that she had sent his way each night. He had to hold back a grimace. The woman was one of those middle-aged whores who liked to still think they were young. Her hair was an unnatural black colour, her face was pinched and hollow after too many years of dieting and her skin looked leathery and less than supple, almost as though she had spent too many hours in the sun. Not to mention that her breasts, which were straining underneath the tight shirt she was wearing, looked incredibly un-natural for the actual size of her body. If she were a witch, Rabastan might have wondered if she had used one of those charms to make them bigger, but she was just a filthy muggle.

Slowly, he stretched his long legs out from underneath his booth and stood at his full height of six foot four. Holding himself like the pureblood, arrogant wizard he was, he began slowly walking through the pub and passed straight by the woman. He knew she was watching; she had been openly staring since he stood from his booth. Just as he passed her, he allowed his gaze to flicker to her and made eye contact. As if transfixed by him, she nodded slightly at the non-verbal message he seemed to send with his brief gaze. Nobody else seemed to notice or even care about Rabastan's presence there, except for this woman.

Rabastan walked out of the pub into the chilly night air and stepped into the alley located next to the pub. He silently leant against the stone walls and fingered the illegal wand he had owned since the war. Suddenly, the unmistakeable sound of footsteps echoed within the alley and Rabastan turned to see the muggle woman walking towards him. She stopped just short of a metre from him and pulled out a cigarette. Rabastan raised an elegant auburn eyebrow at the woman.

"You haven't gotta light, 'ave you?" She asked, breaking the silence, whilst holding the cigarette in front of her.

Rabastan simply smirked – some would say mockingly – at the woman. He took out his wand and using a non-verbal spell, allowed a small flame to flicker from the end. The woman eyed his wand strangely, but lit her cigarette all the same. Taking a deep drag and then puffing the smoke out of the corner of her mouth, she eyed him. Rabastan still hadn't spoken.

"Strange looking lighter…" the woman commented, nodding towards his wand, obviously thinking that it was some kind of novelty.

Rabastan curled his lip slightly. "It's illegal." He replied nonchalantly.

The woman smirked and continued smoking before she looked at him again. "Never seen you around before… are you new to town?"

Rabastan nodded his head. "I'm still trying to get my head around everything around here." He said, before eyeing the woman. She seemed to take his look as something more because she preened under his gaze.

"Well." She replied in a flirty tone, "I could show you 'round if you like?" She took a step towards him and placed her hand on his jacket.

"Could you, now?" Rabastan lightly ran his hand over the woman's forearm.

The woman grinned, flicked her cigarette on the ground and wrapped her arms around Rabastan's neck. As she pulled his head down and began kissing him, Rabastan had to work hard to not cringe at the taste of cigarettes and alcohol on her breath. Instead, he flicked his wand and silently cast a _silencio _around the alley.

When they pulled away from one another, the woman's eyes were filled with lust. She began desperately pulling at his clothing, Rabastan didn't assist her, he simply stood there smirking at her.

"How long have you wanted to do this for?" He asked, as he felt her pull at his belt buckle.

"Since the first night I saw you." She responded, using what he assumed to be a well-worn seductive voice that she had probably used on many men before him.

"Really? Well, there's something I've been wanting to do to _you_ since the first night I saw you as well…"

The woman looked up at him, he sneered when he saw the hope in her eyes. "What's that?" she breathlessly replied.

"_Crucio._" He whispered.

The woman's eyes bulged and she let out an ear splitting scream as she fell to the ground under his wand. Rabastan stared at her coldly as he continued, but inside he felt a wave of relief rush through his body as he observed her convulse on the ground, screaming in pain.

"Your screams are the only thing delicious about you, dear." He said, before stopping the curse and circling her as she lay shuddering on the ground.

The woman seemed to finally control her shaking limbs and shuddering breaths. "Who are you? What do you want with me?" She sobbed.

Rabastan smirked. "You don't need to know who I am. All you need to know is that… you should feel honoured to have been chosen by _me _to play a little game." The now wicked grin grew wider as his stopped, and stood right next to her face.

"Please, let me go!" She whimpered.

Rabastan tutted and then crouched down next to the woman. "Don't want to play, hmm? Well, you're no fun… what was your name again?"

The woman stayed silent, locking her jaw shut. Rabastan stared at her before he grabbed her chin and forced her to look at him. The fear in her eyes sent a rush of exhilaration through him.

"Name?" He demanded, and squeezed her jaw for good measure.

"K-Karen." She replied with a slight stutter.

"Well Karen… it's a _pleasure _to meet you." Rabastan responded in his most charming voice, whilst he pushed the tip of his wand into her forehead. "So tell me Karen… do you often kiss strange men in alleys?"

She whimpered and tried to pull her face from his tight grasp. "Leave me alone!" her voice was now becoming hoarse from sobbing.

"That's not very polite Karen." Rabastan admonished, with a hint of humour to his voice. "When you aren't polite, well, you get punished." A malicious glimmer flickered in his gaze.

"No! no…no… please. Please just let me go; I won't say anything! _Please! _I p-promise." The make-up was now smeared across her face from her tears.

Rabastan was disgusted by her display. _She won't even fight back! Pathetic fucking muggle! _

"I'll do anything! Anything you want!" She pleaded and grabbed onto his shirt. "Whatever you're into… please, just let me go! I have a child at home – _p-please!_"

Rabastan's lip curled, in disgust. Something in him snapped and he smacked her head against the ground. "You think that _I _want to touch _you_? Do you honestly think I would want to touch a filthy muggle bitch such as yourself?" He demanded angrily and suddenly pulled a small, but decorated knife from his boot. The woman's eyes widened with fear at the sight of the knife.

"And you have a child at home, hmm? What does your child do when you are sitting at this bar each night trying to pick up unknown men?" He sneered as he brought the knife down to her lips and carefully traced the blade around them. The woman didn't respond, but let out a muffled sob instead.

"I can't believe they fought so we could live in peace with _your _type. It makes me sick. My Lord is _gone_ because of people like _you_." He sneered. A look of confusion passed through her eyes, but it quickly turned into fear as he waved the knife in front of her face again. "Though… if there is one thing you're worthwhile for, it's for playing games…"

"_Please…"_ she rasped, her voice slowly disappearing from all of the sobbing.

"You can beg all you like, but it won't change anything… _Imperio." _

Rabastan watched as her face became mildly blank and the tell-tale fear disappeared. He smirked, _she was just a filthy muggle - she couldn't even fight an imperio - like a powerful wizard!_ Silently, he handed her the knife and watched as she took it in her hands, staring at it blankly.

He leant down beside her ear and whispered, seductively, "Cut yourself… here, here and here." He delicately brushed his finger-tips along one of her arms, cheek and then stomach. He rolled back on the heels of his feet and watched as the woman brought the knife to her arm and slid the blade up her forearm. He observed, with pleasure, as blood immediately began pouring from the wound before she took the knife to her cheek and cut along the line of her cheek bone before continuing down to her stomach and sliding the blade along her lower abdomen, allowing it to go deeper than the other cuts had, just as he had commanded through the imperio.

This continued for at least another 10 minutes, with Rabastan watching in pure rapture as more and more skin was marred by the blade of the knife. Soon a thin sheen of blood covered the woman almost entirely and Rabastan was beginning to feel a bit bored. Slowly, he pulled the knife from her hands and stood up.

"Well, dear, that was fun but I think my work is done here." He said pleasantly as he inspected the blade of the knife. "The only problem is that your filthy muggle blood has tainted my blade… I think you can lick it clean for me. _Please_." He sniggered, and pushed the knife back into her hand and she took it to her mouth and licked it clean, the knife leaving more cuts on her tongue and lips.

"Does your filthy blood taste nice dear?" He said, leaning down to her ear. "There is one positive of this, you know, at least you will always be at home with your _precious _child now… because you're sure-as-fuck too ugly to pick up random men now, aren't you?"

In her state, she simply nodded her head and stared at him with a blank look, despite the constant stream of tears that now flowed down her cheeks, mixing and washing with the blood. Rabastan smirked, fingered his wand, and lifted the curse from her. The immediate scream that shot through the alley made a genuine smile appear on Rabastan's handsome face.

"You fucking prick! Where do you come from? What kind of sick fuck are you?" She screamed at him, attempting to lift herself off the ground to confront him, but she had lost too much blood to stand.

Rabastan simply smirked and stood over her dominantly.

The woman started yelling again. "You sick fuck! You're wrong! There's something wrong with you! You should be fucking hung, you piece of shit!"

Rabastan's smirk disappeared and his face hardened immediately. He suddenly bent down and looked her right in the eye, "No, there's something wrong with _you_!" He hissed. "You and all of your kind… you're lucky to be on the same patch of dirt as me! If you had any idea who I was, you'd regret your little tantrum immediately!" He spat, drawing his wand. "_Crucio!_"

The woman screamed again, though Rabastan's anger had intensified even more since the last round of crucio and the woman twisted unnaturally on the ground, trying to grasp for anything, but due to her body contorting so frequently, she couldn't grasp onto anything.

"My Lord was right!" He spat as she writhed in pain. "Good for nothing Muggle slut!" Ending the curse as he was thoroughly tired of dealing with her now, he stood there breathing heavily in anger staring down at her.

The woman could barely lift her head from the ground. "You won't get away with this… you'll be caught… the p-police will f-find you…" She whispered.

Rabastan scoffed. "Very much doubt that, dearest. You see, thanks to my superiority to _you_, the only memory you'll have of this is you cutting _yourself_… you'll never remember me, you'll just think you did this yourself." He sniggered as he gestured to her wounded body and she just whimpered in return.

"So honestly, Karen, it was _lovely _to meet you, but I've got places to be, people to see…" He outright laughed as he twisted his wand in his fingers. "Oh! And, ah, how do you muggles say it… _Don't call me – I'll call you_!"

Rabastan sniggered and pointed his wand at her head. Performing the memory charm, he stood began walking towards the alley entrance. Before he left he heard her softly whimper in pain, stopping quickly he turned and looked at her, with a frown on his face.

"Oh! Almost forgot…" He mocked. "_Stupefy!_"

* * *

"Do you _loooove _him?"

"Ginny!" Hermione admonished as they made their way through the second hand muggle book store.

"Oh come on Hermione! You can't deny the spring in your step! The sparkle in your eye! The-"

"Ginerva Molly Weasley!" Hermione blustered in embarrassment, which stopped the red-headed girl from twirling around the bookshelves like a 13 year old girl.

"Hey! Not so loud, you know I can't stand my full name!" She whispered conspiratorially, shifting her gaze to make sure no one heard. Hermione rolled her eyes in amusement.

"Well stop being so irritating then." Hermione retorted with a smirk on her face.

"I'm just curious! Now that I'm almost married I have to live vicariously through my girlfriends you know?"

Hermione couldn't help the snort of laughter that escaped. "Ginny, stop talking as though you're some old housewife – Merlin knows how disgustingly lovesick you and Harry act when you're together!"

Ginny now laughed. "Okay, okay, so maybe I just want to know how my friend is going with her new boyfriend."

Hermione turned away and blushed. "It's great actually." She bit her lip, trying to stop the smile that was threatening the break from ear to ear.

"Oh bloody hell 'Mione! You've got it bad!" Ginny exclaimed, then in a conspiratorial tone asked, "So… have you done '_it_' yet?"

Hermione's eyes bulged and she couldn't help the embarrassed squeak that came out of her mouth. "Ginny!" she exclaimed for the umpteenth time that day.

"Well?" Ginny prodded, poking her index finger into Hermione's shoulder for good measure.

Hermione just turned a deeper shade of pink and averted her eyes.

"Oh Merlin! You have!" Ginny screeched in excitement, causing a grumpy looking elderly man a couple of aisles away to give them a dirty glare. Hermione gave him an apologetic look before turning back to Ginny.

"Keep it down, Ginny." Hermione whispered bossily.

"That's not a denial." Ginny sniggered.

Hermione averted her eyes trying to hide the blush that was currently spreading over her cheeks. "No, it's not."

Ginny bumped her shoulder lightly and gave her a sly grin. Hermione gave a genuine smile back and leaned in closer to her.

"So when do we get to meet the great Tom… the only man to _ever _make Hermione Granger turn that shade of pink!" Ginny asked.

Hermione looked thoughtful. "Well, of course it has crossed my mind… I think I will do it when I tell him I'm a witch."

"That could take _ages _'Mione! Can't we just meet him _now_?"

"No, Ginny! I think it's far too risky at the moment-"

Ginny interrupted. "But Harry and I-"

Hermione arched an eyebrow and looked at Ginny, who stopped speaking at the look on Hermione's face. "_Ron._" Hermione emphasised and realisation dawned on Ginny's face.

"Good point." Ginny agreed, albeit reluctantly.

"It's just… he's just like your Dad, you know… _something _would happen that would have him question everything and potentially blow our cover… Tom's very quick, you know! He almost caught me out with magic once already and I want to tell him myself, not have him find out another way. I would feel terrible if he thought I was lying to him to be malicious."

"Okay, okay…" Ginny waved her hand casually at Hermione's explanation. "So… how many times have you done _it_?" She asked.

"Ginny!" Hermione hissed. This time, the grumpy old man turned and 'shushed' them. The two girls turned and looked at each other before bursting into laughter, causing the man to give them an even harsher glare. Ginny grabbed Hermione's hand and led her out of the store and onto the busy London streets.

"Come on, I think Harry and Ron will be stopping by soon anyway." Ginny said and pulled Hermione back towards her flat.

* * *

The girls stepped into Hermione's flat to find Harry and Ron already sitting on the couch, arguing over the remote for the television.

"How did you two get in here?" Hermione stood in front of them, hands on hips.

"Well Hermione, this proves that if we can get through your wards-" Harry began saying, but was quickly cut off from Hermione.

"Oh no! We've already had this conversation Harry!" Hermione groaned.

"You know he has a point 'Mione!" Ron cut in, causing Hermione to send a hard glare his way, which caused his eyes to widen slightly and to subconsciously lean further back into the couch.

"All I'm saying is that with a Death Eater still out there, we need to make sure that you're as protected as much as possible." Harry said.

Hermione rolled her eyes and then shook her head. "Thank you for worrying about my welfare, but my wards are excellent – you _both _know that. I know you used your Ministry powers to bring them down anyway… something that only Aurors can do – not Death Eaters!" She arched her eyebrow as they both looked in other directions at her accusation of using specialised Auror ward breaking spells.

Harry finally spoke again, his cheeks tinging with a bit of embarrassment. "Well… that may be so, but _please _Hermione, just let us set up some extra protection wards. The head Auror has kind of demanded it anyway, considering you could possibly be be vulnerable…"

"If he's so worried about Hermione, why did he send you knuckle-heads to do it?" Ginny suddenly said, whilst trying not to laugh at the offended expressions on their faces.

"For your information Ginny, we both got perfect scores on our Wards test!" Ron said, with an indignant tone.

"And Beretz said he would stop by and check them later on too…" Harry added, much more quietly.

Before the scene could get anymore unnecessarily annoying, Hermione decided to play nice. "Fine. You can add to my wards, but I want to be able to learn them as well – deal?"

Harry and Ron both looked relieved and grinned at her. "Deal." They replied simultaneously.

* * *

Hermione woke to the feeling of strong, warm hands slowly tracing her bare stomach. For a second or two, the scent and feel of a different bed made her a little confused and hazy. Well, until she felt lips on her collarbone, lightly teasing and licking, obviously to wake her. _Tom's place_, her sleep addled mind reminded her, as his kisses moved up her neck and across her jawline. It was the first time she had actually spent the night at his place, as these days they normally always ended up always sleeping at her place. But last night after she had said goodbye to Harry, Ginny and Ron she was suddenly bored and decided to surprise Tom – as they hadn't planned on seeing each other that night.

"I know you're awake." He said, and finally kissed her lips, his hands moving upwards to cup her breasts.

Hermione languidly returned his kiss, allowing his hands to roam her body, whilst she carelessly ran her hands up and down his shoulder blades, allowing herself to wake slowly in his embrace.

"Good morning." She said as their kiss broke. She couldn't help but shudder as she looked up into his eyes. He was just _so_ captivating; in the way he always commanded all of her attention – demanding and pulling at her as though it was perfectly normal, perfectly acceptable for him to do so. Hermione allowed it as well, too fascinated with him to question it.

"You were taking too long to wake up." He replied and then smirked as she rolled her eyes at him.

"I could say that you are waking up _too_ early…" she retorted, watching as he began kissing his way down to her breasts and softly moaned as he took a nipple in his mouth and slowly sucked and licked on it.

"It's already eight…" he said, as he spread her legs and settled in between them, his erection pressing against her thigh quite noticeably.

"On a Sunday!" Hermione scoffed, but then gasped as she felt him pinch on one of her nipples. She could already feel the arousal building between her thighs and subconsciously rocked her hips against his.

He leant down and kissed her neck, before nibbling on her ear lobe, causing her to shiver with pleasure. "Well," he whispered in her ear, "I'll just let you go back to sleep… so sorry to bother you, _darling_." He said sarcastically.

He went to roll off her; Hermione could just _feel _him smirking at her, and it just infuriated her. Before he could move, she quickly wrapped her legs around his hips, pulling his lower body against hers. "Oh no you don't." She growled, and wrapped her arms around his torso. "You will not leave me hanging like this." She added, staring up at him.

"You are being very naughty Hermione… telling me what to do like this." He smirked and leant down and kissed her. "If you want to be in so much control, so be it." He said and suddenly, before Hermione could even think, he had managed to roll them over so Hermione was now straddling him.

"What – what do you think you are doing?" She said, shocked that he was able to turn the situation on her so quickly. She quickly tried to cover her now bare breasts as the sheet had now fallen from her in their tumble.

"Ah, Ah." He warned and quickly grabbed her wrists, pulling her hands away from her breasts. "I want to be able to see you, completely." He ordered with an unmistakeable glint in his eyes.

Hermione was pretty sure that she was blushing quite profusely. She looked down at him and he simply arched an eyebrow at her, as if daring her to continue. Whilst they had been having a fair bit of sex lately, she hadn't actually gone 'on top' yet and she was feeling incredibly self-conscious. She looked away from him and bit down on her lip in thought. How should she continue? She didn't want to look like an inexperienced idiot… Suddenly, one of Tom's hands had grasped her jaw and pulled her so she was facing him again.

"Ride me." He ordered, softly.

Her eyes bulged slightly and she suddenly felt extremely exposed. She didn't want to disappoint Tom, but had never done this before and didn't want to fail. She felt Tom's hands on her hips, guiding her core so it was now over his arousal. He pushed his hardness against her, and groaned as she pushed herself along his shaft. She grinded against him again and he gripped her hips tightly, lifting her slightly before she felt his tip at her entrance. Her arousal suddenly took precedence over any awkwardness and she slowly lowered herself onto him, the fulfilment of the new angle causing them both to groan in pleasure.

Hermione allowed Tom to begin guiding her hips backwards and forwards, feeling his cock fill her completely and push against her walls. Slowly her hips began moving of their own violation and Hermione didn't even notice Tom's hands move from her hips until she felt them cupping her breasts, kneading them as she moved above him.

The feeling of his hands, and the pressure on her sex felt amazing, and Hermione automatically sped up her movements, concentrating on the wonderful feeling of pressure that was building as her thrusts became harder. She suddenly moaned when she felt one of his fingers reach and brush against her clit and continued doing so whilst her movements quickened and jerked above him, feeling her entire body begin to tingle. He began meeting her thrusts and she moaned as she felt the pressure intensify to almost an unbearable level. Her walls began to clench and she let herself go uncontrollably.

"Tom!" she screamed as she rode out her orgasm. This seemed to do something to him, because as soon as she yelled his name, Hermione felt the now unmistakeable feeling of him spilling inside of her.

* * *

Tom pulled Hermione down towards his chest, a satisfied smirk pulling at his lips. Not surprisingly, he had become very pre-occupied with the recent and rather pleasing developments in their relationship. He was becoming completely addicted to being around her. She was so much more than the plebs who he used to spend time with before he met her. Just like Tom had always felt he was meant to achieve more in his life, he now knew that Hermione would help him reach that. When she completely gave herself to him, the power that rushed through him was incredible to say the least. Who'd have thought he'd ever feel that way with a girl?

However, he was unfortunately not any closer to working out the new developments that had surrounded him since he located that book at Hermione's a few days ago. He had attempted to snoop around Hermione's book shelves again, but it proved extremely fruitless. Not only was it difficult to look through her things when she was always around, there appeared to be no more books that seemed related to what he had managed to find the first time around. He wasn't worried; it was only a matter of time before he worked it out. He had complete confidence in his intelligence, and his abilities to solve problems. Also, he subconsciously felt as though it wouldn't be long… something told him to just remain patient with Hermione and everything else would fall into place. Hermione suddenly shifted and began speaking, pulling Tom from his thoughts.

"What do you want to do today?" Hermione mumbled against his chest.

"Not really sure. Did you have something in mind?"

"Not really… I'm starving, though." As she said that, her stomach grumbled rather audibly. She groaned and hid her head in his chest in obvious embarrassment and Tom chuckled.

"Come on, get up, I'll take you out for breakfast." He said, as he pulled her up and kissed her.

* * *

"Can we _please _go for a walk in the park?" Hermione asked rubbing her stomach uncomfortably, as they stepped out of the small café.

Tom casually slung his arm around her shoulder. "Feeling a little full?" He asked, with a big smirk on his face.

Hermione huffed. "You shouldn't have ordered me the large omelette! My eyes were bigger than my stomach! I was so hungry I would've eaten anything."

"You didn't have to _inhale_ all of it." He teased, and pulled her closer as they navigated through the crowded street. "Really Hermione, I've never seen a woman eat so much…" He said lightly.

"Oh shut it!" She retorted, but a huge smile threatened to break the mock scowl on her face. "There's a nice park up this way, let's go walk around it." She said bossily.

Tom didn't answer and just smirked. They made their way towards the park. Even though he had been living in his flat for a while, he had never actually visited this place in particular. Well, it's not as if he spent his spare time waltzing around parks, that was so _sissy_… it was bad enough keeping a dream diary!

They had been wandering around the park for about half an hour, talking about nothing in particular, just enjoying the nice weather – it was quite crowded… it seemed as though everyone wanted to be out in the good weather. Hermione had finally spotted an empty bench obscured by some trees and shrubs and led them over to sit down. As they sat down, Tom pulled Hermione closer towards him possessively. In the short time they had been in the park he had noticed several men check Hermione out, including a terrible busker who even had the nerve to serenade Hermione as they walked past. A scowl crossed Tom's face; couldn't they see that she was with _him_? The problem was that Hermione was pretty… and kind… _and_ she looked too innocent for her own good. Well, she was all his and it was their bad luck that they missed out! He smirked and placed a kiss on the top of her head. Of course, she was completely oblivious to the attention she was on the receiving end of. Even when the awful busker was singing at _her_, she still looked around, trying to work out who he was singing to. When she realised it was her, she turned a delicious shade of pink and quickly walked off, causing Tom to outright laugh at her reaction, before following her – but not before giving the busker a menacing glare for even checking out _his _woman in the first place.

"Seems as though you've gotten yourself some more admirers…" He teased, though there was a slightly annoyed undertone to his voice.

"More?" She questioned, looking up at him.

"Sure… I already have to compete with Zabini and then your friend … what was his name? _Ronald_?"

Hermione snorted. "Oh please! Zabini is just a flirt and I've already told you about Ron – we already sorted that out."

"Zabini is not '_just a flirt'_! I don't like the way he looks at you." He scowled.

"Well, even if he was 'interested', I'm with you, so it doesn't matter."

"But-"

Hermione quickly interrupted. "Tom, I don't want to talk about this! I think you are completely over-reacting. Just trust me okay?"

Tom huffed, but reluctantly decided to let it go, for now. He didn't want to fight with her… she could be annoyingly stubborn whenever they argued and she wasn't afraid to tell him off when she thought he was wrong. Not to mention she might stop sleeping with him if they had a fight… _although _it might be worthwhile to find out what make-up sex would be like. Then again, if she wasn't mad he could just sleep with her and not need to make any amends or have any long 'talks' about their relationship…

"Okay, okay…" he said. "I'll let it go if you give me a kiss." He demanded and she huffed.

"Honestly…" She smirked before leaning upwards and pecking him on the lips. She went to pull away but Tom wasn't having any of that and quickly cupped her cheeks, prolonging and deepening their kiss.

Just as he was about to pull her onto his lap, she screeched and jumped up, away from the bench.

"What's wrong?" He asked, annoyed that she had broken their kiss.

Hermione calmed down almost instantly, and then became curious. "I _swear _something just brushed against my feet…" She looked down and her eyes bulged. "Ah Tom…" She began tentatively and held her hands out warningly. "Don't move okay? Just stay completely _still_."

"What are-" Tom began asking as he looked down – following her gaze - and immediately stopped, because there, sitting at his feet staring up at him was a grass snake about four feet long. _Just like my dream! _Tom immediately thought, not even feeling scared of the fact that a snake was now coiled at his feet.

"Just ah… Just don't be alarmed okay?" Hermione suddenly said, but Tom barely caught it as he was too enraptured by the snake. The snake turned and looked at Hermione and then back at him…

Tom finally looked away from the snake, as he noticed that Hermione was slowly bending down towards it. "Hermione! What do you think you are doing?" He asked, slightly worried for her. He felt like he should be the one picking it up, not her.

Hermione didn't answer him, but muttered something under her breath that Tom couldn't catch as she moved towards it. "It's okay… I should be able to pick him up." She then said.

"_Ssshe doesssn't need to pick me up…" _

Tom's eyes bulged and he looked back down at the snake who was still staring at him.

"_Tell her that her calming thoughtsss are ssstronger than what I imagined her typesss to be."_

Tom looked at the snake then back at Hermione, who was now crouched by the snake and had slowly reached out to touch it. "It's okay," she crooned. "We aren't going to hurt you… you're a bit far from home aren't you?" She whispered as her hand slowly gripped around the area closest to its head, preventing it from possibly attacking.

"_Ssshe doesssn't need to hold me like that… I would never bite her."_

Tom didn't really know what to do at the present. On one hand he currently believed that a snake was talking to him – just like in the dreams he had, on the other hand, his girlfriend was attempting to pick it up and … calm it down? He felt like he had been sucker punched as both shock and excitement coursed through him.

He watched as Hermione slowly stood up with the snake cradled in her hands. "There we are, that's not so bad is it? Now, what are we to do with you?" Hermione said to the snake almost affectionately. Tom couldn't help but stare in fascination as Hermione cradled and soothed the snake.

"_Ssshe's ssso warm, you have made a good choice." _The snake stared at Tom, who by now had stood up to stand next to Hermione, watching the snake. _"Jussst take me to grasss pleassse. Take me away from all thessse people."_

"Perhaps we should take him to that long grass over there." Tom suggested, his chest still thumping in excitement, and pointed towards a more deserted area of the park with a creek and a lot of long, untended grass next to it.

"Good idea," Hermione replied. "Thank goodness nobody else has noticed us yet… quick, let's hurry before he makes a scene." She said and nodded at the snake and began walking.

Tom didn't say anything, but just followed in shock, watching the snake wrap itself pleasantly around Hermione's arms. They finally reached the long grass and both Hermione and Tom knelt down to release the snake.

"There you go," Hermione said, in a friendly tone. "You'll be safe here."

The snake uncoiled itself from Hermione's hand and quickly slithered down onto the ground. _"Your friend hasss a wonderful way…" _Tom heard the snake hiss. _"Thank you, it would have taken me agesss to get here on my own…"_

Tom felt an urge to reply all of a sudden, but held back and simply nodded at the snake, wanting to show it some semblance of understanding. "I think it likes you." Tom said instead, turning and looking at Hermione.

"You do, do you? What, did it tell you so?" she jokingly replied as she stood up straight and watched the snake slither away.

_Maybe it did tell me_, Tom thought and smirked as he watched the snake leave as well, deciding to add this to the list of many things to think about.

* * *

**A snake in the park! What's Tom going to do now? The next chapter will obviously be covering his emotional reaction much more, hehe. And do you think Hermione may have used a bit of wandless magic to calm the snake a bit? It seemed a little happy with her didn't it?**

**Okay, so in the books, Tom Riddle tells Dumbledore that snakes find him and "whisper things"... I interpreted that... I have always believed animals have a bit of a sixth sense and I think the poor, lost snake may have been drawn to Tom ;)**

**RABASTAN! Omg, he's a crazy bastard! To be honest, I was on such a roll with him he almost took over the Chapter... I wanted to show that he's not a 'cuddly' death eater, lol, nor is he as pompous as a Malfoy... I've been reading a lot on terrorism and those who join terrorist groups as part of a uni assignment I had to do and I derived a bit of inspiration from that. He is still incredibly dedicated to Voldemort and the whole 'purebloods rule' vision. **

**I loved writing the scene between Ginny and Hermione, just quietly.**

**So you know what to do... please, please review! xox**


	13. Chapter 13

**Hello lovely people! Welcome to Chapter 13. This is up a bit later than what I anticipated. I have been travelling around for work... so I've been spending a lot of time writing in hotel rooms - which is not very inspirational unfortunately.**

**Thank you to AwesomePersonlolxx, Mango, jaspersluv1863, JessicaStory, Chelsea Di Marco Macbeth, Ceralyn, LeahHeartsTomRiddle, MrsSomerhalder10, Megii_of_Mysteri_OusStranger, LK_HoGwArTs_hEaDgIrL, cherryblossom_vanilla, Kelly Starr, e_m_o_m_i_n_t, nikif, Luckylily, ItsUpToYou, CaBuckeye, ilovefireyredheads, Azura_Soul_Reaver and CheshireCat23 for reading and reviewing the story! It certainly keeps me going!**

**Thanks to all who have added this as a favourite or an alert :)**

* * *

_And all at once I feel this / Oh how it clings to me__ / __It reels and calls me towards it / Confounding destiny__ / __And I can feel the madness inch by inch__ / __The more I run the more I am convinced – Passion Pit (The Reeling)_

"Tom, are you alright?" Hermione asked when they arrived back at his flat.

"What?" Tom replied with a completely uncharacteristic and unsophisticated wide eyed look. He had been caught up in his own thoughts the whole walk home.

"I said," Hermione began, with a laugh: "Are you okay? You've been a bit out of it since the park."

Tom simply stared at her. Her cheeks were flushed from being outdoors and her hair was bouncing merrily around her shoulders as she walked into his living room. Everything about her was so discerning to him… and now she could handle snakes! _Who was this girl?_

"How did you pick up that snake so easily?" He asked suddenly, ignoring her questions.

He watched as Hermione's smile faltered only a fraction, before it returned again. She bounced down on the couch and pulled on his hand, lacing his fingers within hers, whilst he stood in front of her. "What do you mean?" She asked, the even-tone of her voice not matching her flushed face.

Tom looked down at her, the way she looked at him; it almost felt as though she knew something he didn't. His eyebrows furrowed slightly as he chose his next words carefully. "The snake… How did you know how to handle it?"

Hermione briefly averted her eyes and Tom took the chance to move down onto the couch and sit beside her. "Oh. That. Well, I'd seen something on a wild life program before…" _Lie. "_Showing how to pick them up." _Lie. _"And my school once took us to a wildlife park when I was about 12 or 13," _Lie. _"Oh, you should have seen me when I first saw one… it absolutely _petrified _me." She continued, letting out a nervous laugh at the end of her story.

And that's what it was, Tom thought; nothing but a story! _Why was she lying when she was so terrible at it?_ He wondered, as he looked at her flushed and wide-eyed expression.

"We shouldn't be afraid of snakes." She continued. "The grass snake isn't venomous anyway… the worst that could come of it would be a nip on the hand. But I think it would have been much worse for him, if any other people saw him – poor thing." She finished with an almost sympathetic expression on her face.

Tom just nodded. He had a lot to think about at the moment, the lies that Hermione just told him only adding to the towers of information that were building themselves around him. A million thoughts swirled around his head, almost making it painful to know where to start and where to finish. Rubbing his eyes in frustration, Tom leaned back on the couch and sighed.

"Hey," Hermione's voice suddenly softened and he felt her soft hand gently rub up and down his forearm. "Are you sure you're okay? You look a bit pale." She asked, concern lacing her tone. He felt her continue running her hand up and down his arm in a soothing motion. Tom, in his irritation, just wanted to shrug it off. He didn't need to be calmed down right now, he had too much to think about.

He turned his head whilst leaning back on the couch and eyed her. She was staring at him with clear concern on her face. Looking at her and the expression on her face made a part of him want to forget that she had just lied to him, as he felt the brief flash of irritation ebb away.

"I'm fine." He replied softly. "I can just feel a really bad headache coming on… it's just really knocking me around, sorry." He lied. Well, if she was going to lie it was only fair that he could lie back, right?

"Oh! Don't be sorry. You probably just need to lie down, you know, get some rest." She said, a slight mothering tone entering her voice… which, surprisingly, was somewhat endearing. Just like that bossy tone she got when she wanted her way on something.

"Yeah, you're probably right." He grinned a little weakly, feigning his headache quite well.

"Well, I should leave you alone to rest." Hermione said, suddenly. "I was going over to Mum and Dads house this afternoon anyway, I'll just head off a bit earlier."

Tom's shoulders sagged in relief; some 'alone time' being exactly what he wanted right now so he could collect his thoughts. "Are you sure?" He asked tentatively.

She smiled at him, leaned across and kissed him quickly on the lips. "Of course I'm sure, go to bed and get a proper sleep."

* * *

Soon after Hermione had left, he collapsed face-down on his bed. He could still smell her perfume on his bed sheets, and for some surprising and strange reason it began to calm the myriad of thoughts that were running through his head as he tried to put them into logical order.

Rolling over, he lay there, staring at his ceiling… _Today, I'm pretty sure a snake spoke to me_, _Am I going crazy? Or am I already crazy? _He tried to calmly let go of the strange _nervous _feeling that was threatening to engulf him. No, that wouldn't help him find any answers. He took some deep breaths. _In, out, in, out, in, out…_

_Tom could have sworn he saw the snake smile at him as it came to rest at his feet. "Hello… can you underssstand me?"_

"_Yes." Tom replied._

"_Well I am a lucky sssnake… of courssse I've heard of your type, but you're very rare – yesss you are."_

The remnants of that particular dream softly filtered through his mind, almost as though it were trying to act as a type of reassurance or comfort to him, telling him that what just happened _could _be perfectly reasonable… _could _be perfectly believable.

Sitting up on the bed, his mind suddenly felt much clearer. The recollection of the dream gave him a feeling of… excited _anticipation. _He tried to think back over his childhood as to whether it had ever happened before. Well, it certainly had never happened with the pets his Grandmother kept, or Hermione's creepy cat _thing_, as he always so eloquently referred to it. He attempted to recall another time in his life where he had been around snakes… nothing in particular seemed to come to mind. Perhaps he had maybe seen them once in a zoo… never in the 'wild' like that before though. Rubbing the back of his neck in frustration, he sighed. Well, it's not like Great Britain has a massive snake population anyway… not like other countries anyway.

So what he knew was that so far, in his almost 20 years of life he could never recall snakes speaking to him… why were they suddenly speaking to him now?

_Hermione._

It was almost a whisper that was always there. Her name was _always _in the back of his mind, always niggling away, begging him to work out whatever it was that was happening to him…Why was this suddenly happening now in his life? Who was she?

"_Lies?" he questioned._

"_Liessssssssssssss." It hissed again. It looked at the girl and then turned to him. "But let me present the truth!"_

Another dream; more talking snakes… he remembered this particular dream quite vividly as it was the first one he ever had of that nature, and it had Hermione in it. He had already tried to decode the symbolism of this dream and was still quite annoyed that it hadn't brought him any closer to the missing link. It said Hermione was 'the truth'. Perhaps if he worked out what Hermione was hiding he could then work out what was going on with him…

What was she hiding? He had probably spent more time trying to solve the 'mystery' around Hermione then the time he actually spent studying for uni these days. When he wasn't around her, an emptiness that seemed to be only soothed by the dreams he had seemed to follow him around like a bad dream.

It felt like he was trying to chase a memory that wasn't there… or trying to remember an answer that was right on the tip of his tongue, but his mind was just too foggy to recall it. And the dreams… the dreams that almost felt like-

"_Isss it a dream? Sssometimesss our dreamsss have funny things to sssay to usss. It may be the truth, jussst in a different reality." The snake replied, thoughtfully._

And just like that, another memory flitted through his mind. Another memory from the same dream… was this his fate? If it was, then what was his reality?

* * *

"You know, if there's one thing that Hogwarts _should _introduce..." Blaise began saying as they sat in the library studying.

Hermione looked up from her notes and raised an eyebrow in question.

"… the _pen_." Blaise announced with false pomp, raising his into the air on display, as though it was something precious.

"Merlin, yes!" cried Draco, putting his pen down and stretching his arms above his head. "_So_ much better than a blasted quill."

Hermione eyed the two of them. "Are you two serious?" They both nodded in such a way that made Hermione laugh. "So are you both telling me that before university you both had never used a pen before?" She questioned incredulously.

"Are you kidding Granger? Can you really imagine my father coming back from the shops and presenting us with pens because they are such_ 'a wonderful muggle invention'_?"

Hermione burst out laughing at that. "Okay, point taken." Hermione replied. "Do you guys miss it?"

"Miss what?" Blaise asked.

"Hogwarts."

"Hogwarts?" Draco repeated, which made Hermione roll her eyes at the obviousness.

"Yeah…" She answered.

"I suppose… I miss regular Quidditch." Blaise replied, looking wistful.

"Definitely Quidditch. That's probably about it though." Added Draco.

Hermione quirked an eyebrow, "Quidditch? Of all the things you two could miss about Hogwarts and _Quidditch _is the only thing?" Her voice became slightly high pitched at the thought. The two boys stared back at her dumbly.

"Um, of _course _we only miss Quidditch, Granger. What else would we miss? Homework, Dumbledore's moralising on good and evil?"

It was obviously only an accidental slip up, with Draco immediately turning red as he realised what he had just said. Hermione immediately stiffened, the hand grasping her pen turning white as she gripped onto it tightly. Blaise took a quick intake of breath, closely watching Hermione and her unfolding reaction.

"Granger, I'm so so-" Draco began to say, but was cut off by Hermione's quiet voice.

"You'd know all about good and _evil _wouldn't you Draco?" Hermione said quietly, fury lacing her words.

"That's not what I meant." Draco said, looking down at his work.

"What did you mean then?" Hermione asked harshly.

"I, uh… I just…"

"You know what; I don't really want to listen to this." Hermione quickly stood up and rushed out of library, not even bothering to take her books or bag.

* * *

"Now you've done it." Blaise said, but not in a nasty or accusatory tone.

Draco ran a hand through his hair and sighed. "I didn't mean to say it. It wasn't supposed to come out that way." He replied.

"I know." Blaise said, and leaned over and began picking up Hermione's books and putting them away in her bag.

"Are you gonna go look for her?" Draco asked, watching him pack away her things before picking up his own books and standing up.

"Yeah, just to make sure she's okay." Blaise said. "I'll see you later, alright?" As he said this, Blaise carefully observed his friend. Draco could often be prickly and difficult to get along with, but Blaise knew that despite his often less-then-honourable behaviour, he still didn't deserve to have been put through Death Eater recruitment at such a young age… Every time Blaise caught sight of the ugly mark on Draco's arm, he thanked Merlin that his Mother had determined that neutrality was the best path during the war.

"Yeah, yeah, see you later." Draco waved him off.

Blaise gave Draco a brief nod and quickly walked out of library, following the direction Hermione went.

* * *

Blaise wasn't sure where he'd find Hermione… he simply hoped she hadn't gone too far, considering she'd left all of her things behind. He left the library and made his way outside. It was a cool day, and he found himself pulling his jacket tightly around his body as he stepped through the heavy doors. If she was trying to hide, she wasn't doing a very good job, he mused, as he spotted her almost straight away. She was sitting on a park bench, hands resting under knees, swinging her feet backwards and forwards along the gravel of the pathway. Her hair, in all its glory, was almost a beacon and Blaise cracked a genuine smile as he realised that it was the first thing he attempted to look for.

"Hey." He said, as he walked up to her. "You left this behind." He held her bag in the air, as she looked up at him.

"Oh. Thanks." She replied quietly and looked back down at her swinging feet.

Blaise plopped down on the chair next to her, placing her bag beside him. She looked up at him questioningly. "Draco often says things without thinking." Blaise said without any pre-empt.

Hermione looked at him, seriously. "It's a pretty thoughtless thing to just say, considering everything that happened."

Blaise didn't say anything for a little bit, and they sat there in silence. Suddenly, Blaise spoke up. "Sometimes I think that Draco tries to not think about what happened… His denial makes him say thoughtless things."

Hermione bit her lip, obviously concentrating on his words. "Sorry I ran off. I just didn't want to say anything I would regret."

Blaise scoffed. "You don't need to apologise, Hermione. He knew it was wrong as soon as it came out of his mouth."

Hermione smiled and Blaise noticed that the smile was a bit watery. "How long do you think there will be these awkward moments?" She asked tentatively.

"What do you mean by that?"

"Hmm… how do I say it? How long is it going to be before those from the supposed opposing 'sides' can easily associate without someone being offended at a careless comment?"

Blaise raised an eyebrow at her. He smirked and mockingly stroked his chin in pretend thought. "Um, never? You'll probably always want to punch Draco for one reason or another."

Hermione looked at him and suddenly laughed. "You're an idiot!" She said.

"I must say, girls have called me a lot of things, but never an idiot."

"Well there's always first for everything." Hermione smiled and they fell into a comfortable silence again.

"I'm not the type to give moral advice, Hermione, but just know that everyone has made mistakes – done things they regret. And no one is going to suddenly become perfect, people are still going to say and do stupid things." Blaise said, breaking the silence. "I mean, me – of all people – can certainly attest to that."

Hermione nodded her head slightly and then looked at him. "Have you always been this sage?" She laughed.

"It's taken you this long to work it out?" He replied, in mock shock.

They both turned, hearing someone approaching. Draco stood there, strangely… almost awkward and arrogant at the same time. Blaise smirked at him whilst Hermione smiled politely before turning back around. Blaise nodded his head at him in an encouraging way. Draco, taking this encouragement, quickly walked forward and stood in front of them.

"Um, Hermione… you, ah, forgot this." He said awkwardly, and held a bright purple pen in front of her.

"Oh." Hermione replied, taking it and pocketing it. "Thanks, it's my lucky pen actually." She smiled rather thinly.

They all stared at each other awkwardly for a minute and Blaise wondered if Draco would actually say anything else or if he would just remain standing there being strangely stiff and weird.

"You know… there are a couple of things I miss about Hogwarts that I didn't mention." Draco began to say, still obviously uncomfortable with the situation.

Blaise watched as Hermione looked up at him, firstly with a hint of incredulity in her expression, but it was quickly overtaken by curiosity as she looked at the almost benevolent expression on his face. "What's that?" She questioned, obviously trying to keep the interested look to a bare minimum but failing miserably.

"I suppose I miss the treacle tarts… they were always better at Hogwarts... the elves at home could never get them right; no matter how many times-" Draco seemed to be in the stages of beginning a passionate rant about his house elves failing miserably at re-creating Hogwarts deserts, until he heard Blaise's rather obvious cough and took one look at Hermione's face. "Oh. Right. That Spew thing huh?" He looked at Hermione.

"Not Spew, it was S.P.E.W!" She replied rather haughtily with a look of indignation crossing her face.

"Okay, okay! So back to _'Things I miss about Hogwarts'_." Draco huffed and sat down on the bench on the other side of Hermione. "Do you want to know what else I miss?" He implored.

Hermione looked up to the sky before responding. "Fine Draco, what else do you miss?"

"Well, I miss Potions." He said quietly.

"Really?" Hermione replied with a tone of excitement. Blaise had to hide his smirk at how Hermione looked as though she was itching to discuss something academically related to Potions.

"Yes, really. But Potions with Professor Snape, _not _Slughorn!" He huffed, and crossed his arms.

Hermione scoffed. "And what was wrong with Slughorn?" She asked.

"Well, for a start, the _slug club_? What kind of stupid idea is that?" He scoffed.

Blaise and Hermione looked at each other and both laughed. Draco looked at them in confusion before realisation dawned on his face.

"Oh that's right, both of you were honorary members!" He said, before making gagging noises.

"Jealous, Draco?" Blaise pipped up, rather smugly.

Draco rolled his eyes with good nature. "Yes, completely!" He replied, sarcastically. "Old Sluggie… what a pain in the butt! I can't believe he was ever a Slytherin."

"Are you serious? I think he was the epitome of Slytherin." Hermione commented.

"Ah, this coming from a Gryffindork. Because you are such an expert…" Draco mocked.

"Well actually, he was cunning, sly and incredibly ambitious. If that's not Slytherin I don't know what is!" Hermione said and crossed her arms. "Just because he was jolly didn't make him any less of a Slytherin." She added.

"Well, regardless of old Sluggie and which house he was meant for, we have a literature class to get to." Blaise interrupted.

* * *

"The only reason you preferred Professor Snape was because he _always _favoured you in class!" Hermione exclaimed as they made their way to the lecture theatre. The whole walk to class Hermione and Draco had continued their debate on the merits of Professors Snape and Slughorn.

Before Draco could respond, she entered the classroom, effectively stopping him from retorting. She smirked as she heard him mutter something unintelligible under his breath as they walked in and looked for somewhere to sit. Hermione noticed that Tom wasn't class yet, so she made her way towards an empty row and sat down with Blaise and Draco following her.

She wondered if Tom was feeling okay after yesterday. He _did _seem unwell after the park. She suddenly remembered his questioning regarding the snake. He was far too quick for his own good sometimes. She _had _known the basics of handling snakes… how could you not, living in the wizarding world? Not to mention she had lost her fear of _normal _snakes after the experience with both the Basilisk and then Nagini. She also did experiment a basic wandless travel calming spell for animals that she had learnt for Crookshanks… not knowing if it would work on the snake or not. It obviously did, since the snake seemed almost affectionate towards her when she handled it. It was just that Tom was too perceptive for his own good! She had to start seriously thinking about their relationship and _when _she would tell him about her abilities…

"Did you actually get that homework for the tute done?" Blaise interrupted Hermione's thought process, as they all sat down and got their books out of their bags.

"Yeah, although for some reason I don't feel confident in the interpretation I did." Hermione replied and opened her note book.

"_Please_, I'm sure it's fine. All this literature can be quite subjective anyway. As long as you can back it up with examples you're always pretty much correct." Blaise assured. Hermione grimaced a little as she looked back down at her notes.

"Gee Hermione," Draco suddenly spoke from over Blaise. "Your boyfriend is a bit late, I miss the evil-eyed glare that Blaise and I normally receive. I don't think I can start a day without them now…"

"Sorry Malfoy, next time I'll be on time to oblige you." Said a voice from behind them. All three turned around in surprise as Tom quickly hopped over the row of seats and plopped down next to Hermione.

"Ah _Barry_, so good of you to join us." Malfoy replied sarcastically.

Tom narrowed his eyes at Draco and looked as though he was about to say something until Hermione quickly cut in. "Draco!" she growled.

"What?" Draco asked innocently, looking at them whilst Blaise groaned quietly in exasperation. Draco's expression suddenly became theatrical. "Oh! Sorry _Tom_ – it just slipped my mind." He said, as if he was truly mistaken.

Tom merely glared at him and looked as though he was about to say something until Hermione touched his forearm. His glare disappeared as his attention turned towards her. Hermione smiled as Tom wrapped an arm around her and pulled her towards him, before chastely kissing her on the lips.

"Good Morning." He said in that smooth voice that always made a pleasant shiver run through her.

"Morning, feeling better?" Hermione asked, as she felt Tom's arm settle around her shoulders.

"Yeah. I think I just needed a long sleep." He replied, before flashing her with a smug grin. "You see, I haven't been getting much of that lately." He added suggestively, causing Hermione to blush deeply, as she was sure that both Blaise and Draco would have heard that.

"Tom." She whispered through gritted teeth.

"What?" He smirked whilst shrugging his shoulders with an innocent expression on his face, which caused Hermione to scowl.

"You know _'what'_." She said in a low voice. He innocuously raised his eyebrows at her and before she could say anything the lecturer swept into the room with a loud greeting.

"Hello class!" The professor boomed over the chattering students. All students quickly turned their attention towards the lecturer as he began writing on the board. "Today we will go begin going over 'To Kill a Mockingbird' and I also – _finally_ – have your assignment results to give back." The Professor said and an excited murmur travelled through the lecture theatre at the thought of getting marks back.

Class was rather uneventful for Hermione, as the lecturer went over the next book they were to read for the tutorial (_Wuthering Heights_) and the associated requirements for their homework. She was eagerly anticipating receiving the results for the talk and partnering assignment that she had to do with Tom on _Lady Chatterley's Lover_. Finally, the lesson was coming to an end and the lecturer picked up a stack of assignments and began walking around the class handing them out.

"_Granger, Hermione_ and _Smith, Tom_?" The lecturer called out and Hermione shot her hand in the air excitedly, making Tom smirk. The lecturer made his way up the stair and across to them. He smiled in greeting.

"Excellent work." He acknowledged, and handed them their respective marks. Hermione couldn't help the massive grin that erupted at the sight of a _'High Distinction'_.

"Thank you Professor." Tom replied smoothly and politely – though not sounding very surprised.

"Yes, Sir! Thank you!" Hermione replied with much more enthusiasm, causing the Professor to chuckle and shoot her a grin in amusement, he then turned to Tom.

"Mr Smith, if I may say, your marks have been perfect since you began here. I hope you don't mind, but I was so impressed with your work I took a look at some of your assignments from last semester and spoke to a couple of your other lecturers. Your work has been very impressive."

"Thank you Professor. I know I'm only in the early stages of my degree, but I really want to work towards my doctorate." Tom said graciously.

"You're well on your way to getting a full scholarship if you keep these marks up. I hope you don't mind, but I have shown some examples of your work Professor Hoskings. I'd like to recommend you for the summer literature program. Professor Hoskings was impressed and has requested an interview with you… Here is an official invitation." The Professor said, handing Tom an envelope.

"Why, I'm honoured Professor." Tom said smoothly as he took the envelope. "Thank you for this opportunity."

"Not a problem, Tom. I look forward to hearing how you go with Professor Hoskings. Now, I best go and hand the rest of these results out." He replied, smiling at the two of them. Tom nodded politely and Hermione smiled as he walked off.

Hermione quickly turned to Tom. "That's wonderful Tom! Professor Hoskings! I read his biography in the prospectus and he has done some amazing work."

"He has. Hopefully this helps towards getting a scholarship for my PhD. He is the head of school after all." Tom replied, and Hermione noted that he was desperately trying to keep a smug grin off his face.

"So when do you meet with him?" She asked and watched as he opened the letter.

"On Friday." He replied, as he scanned the letter. "I need to bring examples of my work and he will want to know what my educational plans are."

Hermione reached over and grabbed his hand. "Tom, I'm really happy for you." She smiled as he looked and studied her.

"You are?" He asked, sounding surprised.

"Of course I am. Why wouldn't I be?" Hermione stared at him, surprised that he would question such a thing.

Tom's eyes widened a little but then he looked calm again. "Oh, no reason. I suppose I'm just surprised, that's all. Surprised that it's happening so quickly."

Hermione smiled at him, and stroked his hand gently. She was suddenly brought out of their little bubble by the Professor handing Blaise and Draco their assignments.

"Good work, gents." The Professor said, as he handed over the assignments.

Blaise and Draco nodded politely and looked at their results. Hermione noted the grin that ghosted on Blaise's lips as he looked at his results.

"How did you go?" Hermione asked – not masking the curiosity in her voice, tearing her attention away from Tom and looking at Blaise.

"Distinction." Blaise answered.

"Oh that's great Blaise!" She smiled.

"It's not the best I could get though." He replied. "No matter, I'll just work harder next time."

Hermione regarded him silently. She completely forgot that at Hogwarts Blaise had been very studious – particularly in arithmancy. She vaguely remembered that he was always being congratulated by teachers when they were handing back his assignments.

"Yes, it's okay, but it still won't give us an invitation to meet bizarro world Slughorn." Malfoy snickered, which caused Hermione to glare at him.

"Who's a Slughorn? What _is_ a Slughorn?" Tom suddenly asked, curiously. Hermione felt Tom pull Hermione against him as he looked at them.

Hermione turned to Malfoy, narrowed her eyes and gave him a look that sure said _'now you've done it!'_.

"What? Is this some kind of secret that I'm not allowed to know about?" Tom demanded. Hermione noted his tone had become annoyed.

"No, no, nothing like that." Hermione reassured him. "He was a teacher of ours, actually." Hermione ignored the look of alarm that Blaise gave her – he was obviously not pleased that she was even mentioning Hogwarts indirectly.

"Oh. I still don't get the joke." Tom replied.

"Slughorn liked to… collect gifted students…" Hermione chose her words carefully. "He called it the _'slug club'_."

"So, were you all members or something?" Tom asked curiously.

"Well Hermione and I both were… Draco wasn't." Blaise responded whilst Draco huffed and turned away.

"I didn't want to be a member anyway!" Draco sneered.

"_Sure!_" Hermione scoffed. "I seem to remember a certain someone gate-crashing the party…"

"I wasn't actually gate-crashing! I just didn't want to be caught sneaking around after-hours – it was just an excuse." Draco retorted.

Hermione scowled. That was in sixth year and she had a good mind to know what he was sneaking around for. Still, now was not the time - nor place - to bring _that_ up again. So she comforted herself by sending a dirty look his way instead. She was satisfied to note his worried look when he looked at her face.

"Let's not forget the whole _'Sir you may remember by grandfather Abraxas – blah, blah, blah'_." Hermione snickered. "Honestly, Draco." She laughed, whilst the blonde boy huffed and rolled his eyes.

Hermione suddenly felt Tom stiffen beside her. Turning, she looked at him quizzically. "Are you okay?" She asked. "You almost jumped out of your chair."

"Yeah, I'm fine." He replied, non-commitedly with a bland expression. Hermione merely shrugged her shoulders and turned back to ribbing Draco.

* * *

_The dream was different this time, because it was like he was observing himself – from another position. What would you call that? An out of body experience?_

_Tom watched from the side-lines, as if he were watching some sort of memory and had no control of what was happening. He curiously looked around. The classroom looked old and the students were all wearing long, black robes. Voices were muffled around him and he had difficulty grasping onto the various conversations. So instead, he turned his attention back to, well, himself. _

_He observed himself, sitting at a table rigidly, concentrating on someone who was obviously a teacher at the front of the classroom. The teacher was slightly balding, with strawberry-blondish coloured hair and a rather round waist line._

"_Well! That concludes today's lesson. For homework I expect 10 inches on Amortentia. Please discuss why it is so powerful." The teacher finished and smiled at the class._

_Tom watched as the class quickly got up to leave the class, noting that some students wore red and gold emblems and piping on their cloaks, whilst he, and a good portion of other students, wore green and silver. He wondered what the different colours meant. _

_He watched himself pack away his books into a leather messenger bag. A couple of boys stood around, as if waiting for him to leave class._

"_Tom, m'boy, do you have a spare moment?" The teacher suddenly boomed from the front of the class room._

_Tom watched his 'other self' look at the teacher with a blank expression on his face. "Certainly, Professor." He replied blandly. He then turned to the two boys waiting and gave them a signal to leave him and the teacher alone. As soon as the other boys had left the class room, Tom watched as his other 'self' approached the teacher's desk. _

"_Professor? You wished to speak with me?" His other 'self' asked politely._

_The teacher looked up from some books he was sorting. "Ah yes, Tom. I wanted to talk to you about your project."_

"_Project, sir?" Tom watched as his other 'self' furrowed his brows only slightly._

"_Well, y-yes… the project you discussed with me last week." The Teacher seemed to bluster a bit._

_A look of realisation passed on his face, before going perfectly blank again. "Oh. You mean what we discussed at the last dinner?"_

"_Y-yes, m'boy, I wanted to discuss it with you. You see, it has been in my thoughts for this last week and I felt the need to sit and talk with you seriously about it. I know you are only doing this for academic research, of course, but I really must share my reservations…" He trailed off uncomfortably._

_Tom stepped closer and watched with utter fascination as his other self suddenly put on a charming smile. "Oh you needn't worry Sir. I actually changed my mind and have decided to only concentrate on my NEWTS." He said smoothly._

_Tom observed the visible relief cross the teachers face as he listened to him. "Oh, I must say m'boy, that I am relieved to hear that. I know you are the brightest student Hogwarts has seen, but I think that magic is simply too dark for one to study. Even one as bright and responsible as you!" He explained._

"_Of course, Professor." Tom heard his other self say._

"_Jolly good." The teacher seemed in a much more jovial mood. "I hope, however, that you keep this talk as discreet as possible, still." The teacher then said with a slight touch of nervousness in his voice. _

"_Certainly, Sir." He replied charmingly. "You are, after all, really the only Professor who would understand anyway."_

_Tom watched as the Professor puffed up and preened under the compliments. "Excellent. Well, must let you be off to your next class."_

"_Thank you Professor." The boy replied politely. Only Tom was able to note the small sneer that appeared on his other self's face as he left the classroom. _

_As his other self walked towards him, he suddenly stiffened as he noted that the symbol that was on the crest on his cloak. It was a serpent, with the words 'SLYTHERIN' embroidered underneath. _

Tom woke with a start, breathing in quickly and trying to gather his bearings. Loudly exhaling, he stretched under the sheets and felt the warm body next to him shift. Hermione groaned sleepily as he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into him.

"Are you awake?" She sounded so sleepy.

"Shhh. Go back to sleep." Tom ordered quietly and kissed her shoulder. He wanted to just go back to sleep – he would think about this dream tomorrow.

* * *

**There you have Ch13! I hope you enjoyed it!**

**So obviously some of you have commented that you are all dying to know when Tom will realise that he is Tom _Riddle_. I just want to say that I hope it won't be too drawn out but I certainly refuse to rush this... otherwise, to me, it wouldn't be believable at all. I really owe it to you as a writer to do the best possible job. So yeah, be patient my pretties! hehe ;)**

**I hope his reaction to the snake was believable... I tried to think how I would react and then compared it to Tom Riddle LOL. This reaction, along with the latest dream, will continue into Ch14. I think anyone without the emotional control of Tom Riddle would have had a break down by now! but since he is so in control he hasn't ;)**

**There was a bit of bonding between Blaise, Draco and Hermione which was nice to write and will be integral to the future storyline, as will Tom's academic successes.**

**Also, I have been watching the Misfits on dvd and I just _had to _have Draco call Tom "Barry"! lol. If you are a Misfits fan you'll get it. If you haven't seen the show, I recommend you check it out ;)**

**Not to mention that Tom heard them talk about Sluggie and Abraxas! Big mistake on their behalf!**

**So thank you again for reading and please spare a girl a review :) xox**


	14. Chapter 14

**Hello my wonderful readers! Welcome to Ch14... **

**Sorry this one took a bit longer... It's been a busy couple of weeks for me, in between travelling for work, going on holiday to Port Douglas (tough life - haha) and Uni stuff... but I made it in the end!**

**Thank you to: mad_bout_horses_nd_cowboys, Azura_Soul_Reaver, f4vivian, psalmofsummer, CheshireCat23, ilovefireyredheads, AwesomePersonlolxx, LeahHeartsTomRiddle, Megii_of_Mysteri_OusStranger, Ceralyn, Shamonti, e_m_o_m_i_n_t, HereToRead84, Kelly_Starr, CaBuckeye, ItsUpToYou, mekom, nikif, C-berries, aringle42 and Loza-98 for reading and reviewing.**

**Thank you to everyone who favourited or alerted this story... 157 Alerts at last check! The response to this story has been way beyond my expectations, so thank you :)**

******Disclaimer****:** This story is based on characters created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoat Books, and Warner Bros. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.**  
**

* * *

_Tomorrow never knows what it doesn't know too soon – Oasis (Morning Glory)_

_How common is the name Abraxas? _Tom thought, as he lay awake the next morning, with Hermione spooned into his side. How common was the name Abraxas, with the same white blonde hair, similar demeanour and the same name as the _Grandfather_ of the spoilt turd who was linked, again, to _Hermione._

The name 'Abraxas' wasn't the glaring clue in all of this… It was something small, almost innocuous. If Tom were any less observant he may have let it all pass by, without even noticing the small links. But Tom _was _observant… perhaps a little too observant – something he was incredibly proud of. And the most observant people are always aware that the smallest details are often the most important.

Tom wondered if, perhaps in this case, if the small details were perhaps even more important than the big details… such as talking to a snake or that book he found at Hermione's place. Some would scoff at this – vehemently disagree even, but the small details gave the 'back story' and caught those giving these details out unawares. It was information that one didn't need to work for as it almost always landed accidently in your lap. It helped give sense to the bigger details, such as, for example, talking to snakes…

Tom suddenly realised, perhaps through the clarity of early morning thought, that this was actually much bigger than him individually. He was linked to it – he knew that much, but he had finally realised that he was simply a link in a much larger web.

"Hey, you're awake." Hermione said sleepily, stretching her soft, warm, body against him and effectively interrupting his thoughts.

Tom leaned down and captured her lips in his. She sighed and returned the kiss, and he pulled her closer towards him as a result. "Good morning." He murmured against her lips, smirking as he trailed a hand down her body.

"I like these types of greetings in the mornings..." She murmured, letting her arms loop lazily around his neck.

Tom wrapped the duvet around them, effectively cocooning them both in his own desired little world. In this moment, he felt an incredible surge of possessiveness and protectiveness ran through him as he looked at Hermione. She looked so small, as she looked up at him with her big brown eyes and wild hair. And now, after everything that had happened recently, he wanted to know everything little thing about her – every secret, every story – _everything_. Perhaps these emotions also stemmed from the fact that she was making him discover things about him that made Tom feel important. And if Hermione made him feel important, well, _she _was important to him.

This, of course, brought him to his next train of thought. In the last couple of weeks, Tom had felt his feelings strangely shift for Hermione. Though he couldn't place his finger on what exactly had shifted. All he knew was that he just wanted her, and not just the feelings that seemed to be exacerbated by her being near him. Even though he knew that she was lying about a part of herself to him, it still didn't put him off of her. If anything, he wanted to know _what _exactly she was hiding. Something told him that once he found out what she was hiding, he would understand _why _and he believed that he would therefore understand himself.

* * *

Hermione stared up at Tom's impossibly green eyes. She felt secure in his embrace as he wrapped the duvet tighter around them and then broke eye contact, nuzzling her neck, effectively moving himself between her thighs.

Kissing her neck, he murmured in her ear, causing her to shiver. "I don't know much about how you were in school… tell me." He urged.

Hermione involuntarily tensed at the mention of Hogwarts. "What's there to tell?" She sighed – trying to sound nonchalant, as she felt one of his hands move under her singlet top and move towards one of her breasts.

"Oh, I don't know… Everything…" He said, and she could feel him smirking against the skin of her shoulder as he placed kiss after kiss there. "Okay… what kind of student were you?" He said, taking the initiative.

Hermione thought for a minute, formulating a response, before speaking. "My greatest fear – _literally _– was my fear of failure… I was a high achiever, always working to be top of the class." She replied.

"So… _my _Hermione was and _is_ a model student?" He replied as he bent down and sucked on one of her nipples, through her material of her top, causing her to sharply exhale a breath.

"You could say I was _outstanding_." She replied with a hint of purposeful sarcasm, trying to control her breathing as he lifted her top and reigned more kisses on her bare skin.

"Interesting… tell me something else…" He demanded.

Hermione furrowed her brow and thought for a minute, before finally responding. "I didn't have a huge group of friends in school… just a few really close ones. My academic endeavours certainly didn't endear me to a lot of people." She said, not meaning for the last part to sound somewhat sad and indignant at the same time. She mentally chastised herself for being too emotional as Tom looked up at her from her lower abdomen, with a sudden keen look look of interest in his eyes.

"What do you mean?" He asked.

Hermione bit her lip and looked at him again. She didn't really want to speak about this. "Oh it's nothing…" She trailed off.

Tom manoeuvred his way up her body until he was looking directly into her eyes. "Don't you want to talk about it?" He asked, looking at her, and she felt so hypnotised looking at him. "You can tell me, you know." He added, before kissing her lips gently.

Hermione returned his kiss and suddenly felt the memories shift in her mind. From the very beginning when she helped Neville find Trevor in the Hogwarts express to sitting alone in the tent trying to support Harry during the Horcrux hunt, all the important moments of friendship travelled through her mind. _What could it hurt talking about them?_ She wondered. With how quick Tom was, it would look worse for her to _not_ say something or act evasively.

Hermione finally sighed and began speaking. "Until I started at boarding school when I was 11ish, I never really had any friends at school – you could say I didn't really fit in… I met Harry and Ron on my very first day. Ron completely hated me the first day we met…" She laughed at the memory of being on the Hogwarts train for the very first time. "I was a bit of a know-it-all though, telling him that he was always doing things wrong – it really annoyed him to no end." She chuckled as she remembered Ron's indignant attitude at her trying to help him with his school work.

"You could have hung out with me… If we went to the same school, that is." Tom said, cheekily, as she felt his hands move down and lift her up slightly, so he could grasp her backside. He lightly squeezed it before leaning down and kissing her again.

Hermione chuckled and broke away. "Right, I'm _sure _you would have taken Ron's side too… Anyway, after a while, Harry and Ron became my two best friends. Then there was always Ginny, Neville and Luna… I was really quite lucky in the end, actually… considering my terrible start to my social life." She grinned at him.

"_Luna_?" Tom asked, eyebrows raised.

Hermione grinned. "Yes. And she's just as spacey as what the name suggests… Though that's what makes her kind of brilliant, you know?" She smiled.

Tom chuckled. "And Ginny? Didn't I speak to her on the phone once?"

Hermione thought for a second and suddenly remembered. "OH Yes! You did… She's Ron's younger sister and is engaged to Harry." She explained.

Tom chuckled. "Wow… it's almost like you're part of a little family there."

"They _are _my unofficial family." She said with so much conviction and Tom raised his eyebrows in question, but Hermione decided that she wouldn't say anymore on the topic. He didn't need to know anymore at this stage. She felt incredibly protective of her friends… and what they had all been through together. Even though Tom was a muggle, after putting up with too many nosey witches and wizards since, well, _forever_, she couldn't help but instantly clam up about their bond.

She remained stubbornly quiet, looking away from him, running her fingers lightly through his soft hair for a couple of minutes. She didn't want him to think that she was mad at him, but also didn't want to, at this stage, elaborate further. He finally took the hint and she felt him shift and softly kiss her shoulder.

"So it must have upset them when you didn't end up with Ron?" He asked, which she thought was rather perceptive of him.

Hermione shrugged her shoulders. "I suppose, in a way… Everyone _thought _we'd end up together, even me – for years… but then after the-" Hermione quickly stopped herself before she stupidly said _'war'._ _Stupid Hermione!_ "After school finished I realised that we probably weren't right as a couple."

"Well I, for one, am glad that you two didn't work out." He grinned mischievously, causing Hermione to roll her eyes at him. His grin turned into a smug smirk before he spoke again. "Because it means that you're mine now."

Hermione scoffed. "I'll have _you _kn-"

But before she could give him a piece of her mind, his lips crashed against hers, whilst his hands roamed freely over her body, effectively making her forget – _for now_ – about her rant and his possessive proclamation towards her.

* * *

Harry was walking through the Ministry corridors in a tired daze, having just finished training for the day. Today was all about 'effective records management' and Harry had the biggest head-ache from the new program that the Ministry was touting as the new, greatest asset in the management of dark arts related crime. Harry just thought it was plain, ruddy useless! Nothing seemed to link properly and you had to fill out a million pieces of parchment to record just _one _offence. He remembered his Uncle Vernon always complaining about mountains of 'paperwork' at the Drill Factory… but he never thought that as an Auror he would have to put up with the same thing!

He would much rather be out there working on Operation Kerang, and trying to track down one Rabastan Lestrange, who despite their best efforts, still remained at large. All they had to go on so far were sketchy sightings… but nothing concrete enough to send a whole team out. So it was really just him assisting Beretz on the investigation.

Sighing in relief as he neared the exit to the Atrium, he almost missed hearing his name being called out.

"Harry!" the voice called. Harry stopped, not really recognising the voice, and sighed – hoping that it was not another person who wished to discuss his life story in perfect detail – as was often the unfortunate case.

He let out a breath of surprise when he turned and saw Kingsley Shacklebolt rushing towards him, with what looked like two advisors scurrying after him.

"Ah! I thought it was you!" Kingsley said happily as he stopped in front of him and held out his hand to shake.

Harry shook his hand firmly. "Kingsley! Ah, I mean, I should say, Minister!" He said, with just a touch of awkwardness.

"Now, don't start with all that _'Minister' _rubbish, Harry. I already have to listen to it from enough people." He said, with a wink. "How have you been?"

"Great. I just finished a day of training in the office… hope to go back out in the field tomorrow, though." Harry replied.

"Ah yes, Head Commissioned Auror Stewart told me in our last meeting that you are doing exceptionally well in the program _and_ that you have a particular talent for the more practical aspects, such as interviewing."

Harry couldn't help the blush that tinged his cheeks at the compliment. "Well, I couldn't do it without the help of the Aurors training me."

"Good to see your humble nature is still intact Harry, but don't ever doubt your own skills either." Kinsgley replied kindly. "Now, I do believe congratulations are in order with your engagement to Miss Weasley!"

Harry immediately brightened further at the mention of Ginny. "Thanks. We are really happy." He replied.

"Good, good. And how is Ronald Weasley going? I have heard he is doing well in the program as well."

"Yeah, he's great. I think I'm actually going to catch up with him tonight."

"Pass on a 'hello' from me. I assume the lovely Miss Granger will be with him?" Kingsley further queried, with mirth dancing in his eyes.

"Oh, no. Hermione's actually at university. They aren't actually dating… still friends, though."

"University?"

"Yeah! She's gone to muggle university." Harry responded enthusiastically.

Kingsley raised a dark eyebrow in question. "Why? Did she not receive any satisfactory Ministry offers?"

"Oh no, no. She got some good offers actually. She wanted to just to get away from the wizarding world for a bit." Harry explained, and grimaced slightly when he mentioned the last part. He knew Hermione didn't really like to spread around that she was taking a break.

"Oh what a shame to hear that. Miss Granger would be a huge asset to any department! What university is she attending?" Kingsley asked.

"Oxford."

Harry noted a flash of recognition in Kingsley's eyes before he schooled his features again. "Ah, yes, of course. Only the best for the brightest witch of her age." He noted, before pulling a gold pocket watch from his robes and sighing at the time. "Well Harry, I would love to stay and chat more but unfortunately this Minister job is a full time affair." He chuckled.

"That's okay Kinglsey. Perhaps the Order can all have a little reunion soon?" Harry asked.

"Yes, yes! I will definitely clear any plans for that!" He replied happily, with Harry noting the disapproving glance shared between the two advisors at the obvious thought of having to rearrange the Minister's calendar.

* * *

Kingsley walked away from Harry deep in thought. Something of recognition was niggling at his mind about what Harry had just told him… _constant vigilance… _He thought, as he attempted to run back through the conversation…

"Minister, we need you to sign these papers before you leave." One of his Advisors broke his train of thought by motioning towards the pile of parchment in his hands. Kingsley looked at the parchment, effectively grimacing at how many signatures would be required, before sighing.

The Advisor gave him an apologetic look. "Sorry Sir, we know you hate this kind of work…"

"But it has to be done." Kingsley finished, and gave the two worried looking Advisors a small smile. At his smile, he noted that they looked relieved that he would do the task without complaining.

_Paperwork! _He grumbled to himself, sighing as he remembered that there was yet another pile waiting for him at his desk. He'd think more about that niggling feeling once he got some time to himself tonight… not to mention the idea of organising an Order reunion soon.

* * *

Rabastan apparated into the small country lane, quickly moving to the tree lined edge of the road for protection. The last thing he needed was one of the muggle farmers who lived nearby to see him. Rabastan was currently just outside the town of Dorney, not too far from London.

He had spent too many childhood summers here. His family had once had a holiday home here – his father preferring to be located close to London, where he keep abreast of gossip and conduct business, whilst Rabastan and his brother had somewhere they could fly their brooms with wild abandon and not bother with nosey muggles.

Whilst Rabastan knew it was risky being close to London, he needed to be in close proximity because it was time to work out what he wanted to do. Getting out of the country was easiest via London, whether he caught a muggle airline or boat – _shudder _– or risked using the international floo network. London, whilst being obvious was also incredibly easy to disappear in, if you knew the right places and people for that matter… There were still a few wizards out there who would help Rabastan. Whether it was because they had discreetly supported the work of Lord Voldemort and survived without being charged post-war or simply been such old friends of the Lestrange family that the allegiances to the Dark Lord would _never _matter, they would still help one of the sons of Arsenio Lestrange.

Rabastan strolled down the laneway, being careful to stick to the tree-lined edges. He knew that with his height and distinctive auburn hair he ran the risk of attracting attention. _Now, should I stay in the forest or to take over a muggle house? _He mused. He would enjoy the comforts of an actual home… something he had sorely missed and craved since the war and his previous incarceration – not that he'd ever admit _that _weakness to anyone. Rabastan would like nothing more than to be able to soak in a nice, hot bath at the moment. All this moving around gave no time for relaxation!

Maybe he _should _just leave the country altogether? If he went somewhere like Morocco he could still enjoy practicing dark magic without being persecuted for it and the British Ministry of Magic would have no chance of legally touching him there… since the relations were still rather frosty between the two Ministries after Morocco openly funded the Dark Lords campaign and had since cut any negotiations to start a new diplomatic relationship with the current Ministery.

Rabastan scowled at the thought of the new Minister, _Shacklebolt_. He couldn't stand Kingsley Shacklebolt and his muggle-loving ways. They were only a couple of years apart at Hogwarts and Rabastan remembered how Kingsley was _always_ one of Dumbledore's pets. In fact Rodolphus and Shacklebolt had been in the same year at Hogwarts and Rabastan recalled how Rodolphus would always storm into the Slytherin common room, furious at Kingsley for being favoured by the Professors, even though they both achieved extremely high marks. Just because they once caught Rodolphus hexing a mudblood Hufflepuff, Dumbledore _always _eyed him suspiciously. Thankfully it was virtually impossible to blame Rodolphus for the other mischief he got up too – as he learnt to cover his tracks quite well. Something he taught his younger brother Rabastan.

Rabastan smirked, the old fool Dumbledore was _never _able to pin anything on him… he was always much too clever to be caught by the Headmaster. Unfortunately, though, he was never able to escape a suspicious glance from the annoying old coot every time a nasty prank was pulled on a mudblood. _Who cares? He's dead anyway!_ Rabastan smirked at this. Yes, dead _indeed_… If only that pathetic Potter with his blood traitor Weasel and mudblood would join him! Rabastan would relish in the possibility of taking down Potter and his rag tag bunch of Gryffindorks... He would love for nothing more than to get revenge for the death of his Lord and the destruction of Rabastan's ideal pureblood world. If only Potter and Weasel weren't the new Ministry pets… he would go after them for sure.

He wondered what had happened to the little mudblood witch who followed Potter around like a lap dog? _Probably some cushy job at the Ministry, _he sneered. Although, that little wench provided plenty of hours of entertainment with stories often regaled to the Death Eaters about her crusade to free house elves… _that _had even earned a snigger from the Dark Lord. There was an even higher bounty on her head than the Weasel; she had been second only to Potter himself. Mainly because Malfoy had said that she was the brains of the outfit. Dolohov, in particular, had grown a rather unhealthy obsession relating to the mudblood during the war… what was her name…? _Granger! _ He shuddered as he remembered how Dolohov had once asked the Dark Lord if he could keep Granger for himself once she was captured. The Dark Lord had proceeded to torture Dolohov for daring to ask something that was _'so generous' _of him, considering his failure at the Department of Mysteries when they lost the prophecy.

He continued walking, lost in his thoughts, until he heard a twig snap behind him. Reeling around, with the speed and agility only an accomplished duelist could achieve, he found himself face-to-face with a woman who looked to be in her sixties or seventies. _Shit! What if she is a muggle? Oh well, I'll just kill her_. He calmed himself and arched an eyebrow in question at her; she didn't seem fazed or confused by his wand at all. He watched as she calmly stepped towards him and he became somewhat confused as a look of recognition crossed her face.

"I know you. You're one of Arsenio's boys aren't you?"

* * *

"How did you know who I was?" Rabastan asked, as he sat across from the witch who introduced herself as _Louise Tallis_ at a small, but antique opulent oak table whilst the old house elf the woman had prepared him something to eat.

"Oh, I knew your Father and Mother quite well." She said. "You're a spitting image of your father, you know. I almost thought it _was _Arsenio for a minute." Rabastan noted the quiet far-away look in her eyes at her admission.

"How did you know them?" He asked curiously, the nice and polite tone feeling foreign in his mouth.

"We went to school together." She smiled, still slightly wistful looking.

"Oh. Father never spoke much of his time at Hogwarts."

"Strange." She said casually. "Arsenio was one of the most popular boys in school… Along with Malfoy, Avery and Riddle; they used to saunter the school halls as though it was rightfully theirs."

Rabastan had to smirk at this. His father sounded like how he, Rodolphus and Lucius Malfoy used to traipse Hogwarts in their time. He observed the woman who now seemed to be lost in her own memories when a sudden urge of curiosity over-took him. "What house were you in?" he asked.

"Ravenclaw." She smiled. "I know you were in Slytherin." She added.

"Of course." He cocked an eyebrow, in mock arrogance and confirmation.

The house elf suddenly appeared and a steaming bowl of chicken soup with fresh crusty bread appeared in front of Rabastan. Trying, but miserably failing, to remember his pureblood manners – as he was _starving _for good food, he began wolfing down the meal.

"Long time since you've had a good meal?" Louise questioned, knowingly.

Rabastan raised his eyebrows, knowing that by her tone, she knew he had been on the run.

"Don't look so surprised." She tutted. "I know all about you, Rabastan Lestrange. I know what fate you're running from."

Rabastan flinched automatically.

She looked slightly concerned all of a sudden. "Don't worry. I won't turn you in. I could _never _do that to your father." She said with surprising conviction.

His eyebrows furrowed slightly, confused. "What do you owe my father?"

"Let's just say… _a lot_." She smiled simply, and didn't seem to want to share anymore. Rabastan decided he didn't want to push her. "You can stay here, for as long as you need. My home is open to you."

"Thank you." He replied, politely – a complete personality change from the man who, not that long ago had watched as a muggle woman tortured herself for his own pleasure.

"Never. And please call me Louise… or Lou – as your father _and _mother both used to call me." She gave him a sly grin that made her look much younger.

* * *

Tom sat calmly in the reception area of the English Faculty waiting for his meeting with Professor Hoskings. He was early – wanting to make a good impression. Casually observing the paintings around the waiting area, he suddenly felt like he was being watched. Surely enough, the Receptionist – who looked to be in her late twenties – quickly looked down and blushed at being caught staring. Tom rolled his eyes inwardly; most women were _always _so predictable and transparent. _Except Hermione_, he mused. He heard a throat clear nervously and turned to the woman, he looked at her with a slightly imperious expression.

"Are you nervous?" She asked, with a voice that surely sounded like it belonged to a teenage girl – not a woman in her twenties – _surely not! _

"No." Tom answered mildly.

"Oh. Well, what's your interview for then?" She asked curiously. Tom felt like rolling his eyes – _yet again_.

"The Summer English program." He replied politely. Why did people feel the need to make conversation when there was silence? Tom had never appreciated people who had to constantly fill voids with mindless chatter.

"Oh wow! That's very exclusive you know. Professor Hoskings only picks the best students for that." She prattled off.

Tom wanted to groan. _Really! _Listening to this squeaky voiced woman was getting tiresome already!

"My name's Holly by the way. I already know that your name's Tom." She added, smiling a bit _too _brightly. Tom gave her a tight polite smile and looked the other way.

He wondered if she would leave him alone if he pretended to be engrossed in reading his application. Quickly he looked down and began pretending to go over his work, casually flicking through the pages and pausing at all the right moments.

"Think your application's okay?" She then questioned. Tom ground his teeth together as a wave of annoyance surged though him. He thought his quiet dismissal of her would be obvious enough. What part of _'I don't want to talk to you!' _did the fool not understand? He wondered as he felt an uncontrollable, familiar feeling to do something mean to the girl.

He looked up, took a deep breath, and tried to remain calm. Thankfully, for everyone around him, Tom was rather good at controlling his emotions. He turned and looked at the woman, who was eagerly smiling like a puppy dog.

"Of course." He replied in a controlled tone.

"Oh, well perhaps-" She began to say, but was interrupted by the door to the office swinging open.

"Holly!" the man exclaimed whilst looking down at what looked like an appointment diary. "Is Tom Smith here yet?"

Holly quickly sat up straighter – all hints of previously flirtatious body language disappearing immediately as she nervously stared at the man in front of her. Tom looked at the man who must have been Professor Hoskings, he looked very similar to the man – was he a _Professor_? In the dream he had the other night… perhaps the dream was actually an omen to this?

"Yes Sir, he's right here." She replied nervously, gesturing to Tom, who started to stand to greet the man.

"Well what were you waiting for Holly? I've been waiting for five minutes now!" Professor Hoskings replied in a clipped tone.

Tom immediately turned and glared at the girl. _Why on earth did she keep him waiting? _Then it clicked and his scowl grew deeper… _Stupid woman! _The girl turned and looked at him and did look somewhat repentant… at being caught out, that was. Tom was brought out of his angry thoughts of possible revenge by the Professor quickly striding towards him.

"Tom Smith? Pleasure to meet you. I'm Professor Peter Hoskings." Firmly shaking Tom's hand, he gestured for Tom to follow him into the office quickly, without even giving Tom much of a chance to say anything except the usually obligatory pleasantries.

As he shut the door behind them, without a second glance at the Secretary who had turned a bright red colour, he gestured for Tom to take a seat in front of his desk.

"So sorry about that, Tom. It's very hard to find professional help sometimes – even in a place such as this." He smiled apologetically.

Tom smiled politely at the man. "Not a problem. Though, if I may be so bold-"

"My permanent secretary is on maternity leave." He interrupted, as if this was something he had to explain often. "She gets back in a couple of months. It's easier just keeping _her_ on than getting rid of her and having to completely re-train someone." He smiled affably at Tom.

"Well Professor, thank you for seeing me." Tom said charmingly.

"My pleasure Tom. When Robert approached me about your work and progress so far I was extremely impressed to say the least." The Professor replied, referring to his English Literature Professor who had nominated him for the interview and program.

Tom didn't reply, he simply nodded and smiled politely again.

"Now! Let's discuss this Summer Program shall we?" He clapped his hands in what was a rather jolly manner. Tom was again reminded of the Professor from his dreams. _This is a good omen_, he thought to himself.

* * *

Hermione was sitting in the library, absentmindedly twirling a lock of hair whilst she lazily read through her assignment. Tom told her that he'd meet her here once his interview was over. She was excitedly wondering how he had gone… although at the same time, she had no doubt that he had already been accepted into the program and that this meeting was simply a formality.

She sighed and turned to the next page, skimming over her notes, and wondered how much longer he would be. It was amazing and some might even say _alarming_ at how 'joined at the hip' Hermione had become to Tom since he became her boyfriend. They spent so much time together and yet Hermione still missed him when he wasn't around. _Oh no! Have I turned into Lavender? _She thought with worry, remembering how annoying Lavender used to become whenever she had a new crush or boyfriend… _urgh!_

But being with Tom felt so right… so what was wrong about it then? She suddenly heard her Mother's strict tone saying something along the lines of _'Hermione, I didn't raise you to lose your identity over a boy!' …_ Was she really losing her identity over Tom though? She had always been someone who was proud of her strong personal convictions and still believed she held them just as strongly as she did _before _she met Tom… so what if they wanted to spend every moment together, they were still getting to know each other… everything was new, she reasoned with herself. Plus, why did her magic tingle whenever she was with him? At the risk of sounding _exactly _like Lavender, she felt her magic every time she was with Tom. It was strange, as she never expected this to happen with a muggle. Surely it was a good thing though? It was a different tingle to what she felt around Harry, Ron and Ginny. Around them it was always calming and comfortable – like their friendships… however with Tom it was almost electric in the way it coursed through her. Hermione thought that her magic reacting to Tom in this way was fascinating… in both the personal _and _academic sense… well, Hermione would _never _stop being a bookworm. She wondered if anything had ever been written about the topic. She knew there were Wizards who had theorised over the connection between psychology, biology and the magical core… but couldn't exactly recall the details. It was something she had remembered Sirius and Remus – of all people – discussing one late night at Grimmauld Place after too much whiskey and coffee and Hermione had over-heard. Perhaps she would look at that over the quickly approaching summer holidays?

Looking up from the long-forgotten study notes she noticed Tom walking across the library towards her. She couldn't help the smile that appeared on her face as she took in his composed and confident gait. He walked as though his decisions meant something to the way in which the world turned. She had never seen anyone walk that way… even Harry, who literally did affect the way the world – well, at least _wizarding _world – turned, never walked like that. Harry's gate was much more humble, with a touch of wonder too. Not that Tom _was _part of magic, like Harry, Hermione mused… but she wondered how he would walk if he was a wizard? _The same, but with much, much more_; her subconscious whispered.

"Thinking about me?" Tom said as he leant down and cupped her cheeks with his large but elegant hands, and placed a kiss on her lips.

"Pfft. Please. Why would I be doing that?" She replied, in what could be conceived as both a haughty and cheeky tone, earning a quirked eyebrow from him.

He sat down next to her and wrapped one of arms around her shoulders, pulling her into him. "Why wouldn't you?" He smirked arrogantly.

She raised her eyebrows at him and then chuckled. Looking into his eyes, she then spoke. "Well, don't leave me in suspense… how did it all go?" She asked.

"I am officially starting on the program this summer."

"Oh Tom, that's so wonderful! I'm so happy for you!" She replied and hugged him. She noticed his smirk at her over-enthusiastic response. "What?" She demanded.

"Oh nothing…" He replied. "You are quite entertaining when you get overly excited about something." He replied with amusement.

Hermione scowled. "Excited about you, you ungrateful dolt!"

Tom just chuckled at her, not taking her insult seriously, and ran one of his hands through her hair, tucking it behind her ear.

"Even though you are _ungrateful_," she added – rolling her eyes, and reached for her bag, "I did actually buy you a present…" She trailed off and pulled a small simply wrapped rectangular package that she handed to him.

* * *

Tom eyed the gift and felt something strange stir within him. _Of course _he had received gifts before, but no girl had ever gotten him something so thoughtful… most girls he had seen in the past always expected everything, but never gave anything in return. He held the modestly wrapped present in his hands and stared at it until Hermione said something.

Raising his head, he looked at her. "Sorry, what?" He asked.

"Well," She replied, laughing, "Are you going to open it?"

He took in the smile that was _only for him_, and gave a tentative, small smile back. Opening the wrapping paper slowly, which obviously frustrated Hermione because she sighed audibly and jiggled her leg up and down in a nervous gesture, he had guessed by now – due to the feel and size that the gift must be some kind of book. What he was surprised to see, when he finally pulled the gift out of the wrapping paper was that it wasn't just an ordinary book, it was instead a beautiful, black leather bound notebook. He lightly ran his fingers over the supple leather; it felt incredibly soft and smooth under his touch. Opening the notebook, he noted that the paper was unlike the usual, rather thin note paper, but rather thick – he remembered almost instantly that it was the same paper as Hermione's notes in that old book he found in her flat. A strange familiar pang of _something _ran through him – an unidentified emotion – as his fingers touched the paper. He admired the gift; it was only simple, but very thoughtful at the same time.

"So…" She looked down at her clasped hands, blushing slightly. "Do you like it? I thought you could use it for your classes… you know, record your thoughts and your own writing. If you don't like it I can take it ba-"

Tom cut off her nervous rambling by placing his hand under her chin and lifting it they were now looking each other directly in the eyes. He noticed that her eyes widened, making her look like an innocent doe, caught in the eye of a tiger. Moving his hand gently across her jaw line and then through her curly hair, he never broke eye contact as his hand finally came to rest on the soft skin on the back of her neck, he then closed the distance between them and kissed her demandingly. She returned the kiss, though he noticed that her pace was much softer than his. Running his fingers along the back of her neck subtly, he was pleased to feel her body shiver under his touch. Slowly pulling away, he looked at her, admiring her flushed cheeks and bright eyes. _Mine! _He thought as he took in her features.

"Thank you," His voice staying smooth and not betraying the myriad of mixed and unknown emotions currently coursing through his body. "It's perfect."

* * *

Later that evening Tom sat on his couch with his new notebook. Opening it to a blank page, he pulled out his other notes that he had been taking ever since strange things had begun happening to him. That notebook looked completely inferior to the one Hermione had gifted him. Therefore, he would dedicate her gift to solving the mystery that surrounded him since he had met her.

He absentmindedly fiddled with his pen as it hovered over the blank pages. Something in Tom's subconscious told him that he was _so _close to solving this. Every piece of the puzzle was there… it just needed to be pieced together properly. If these pieces were placed together correctly, what he was missing _would_ suddenly become clear.

_Why isn't it clear yet? _Tom thought, frustrated that his usually quick mind had not solved the problem yet. He considered himself as being extremely clever… yet what was holding him back? He had had enough of this! Briefly closing his eyes, he tried to control his breathing as his chest furiously tightened in anger. Over and over he felt as though he was hitting an invisible wall that kept pushing him back to square one. It was as though his mind was playing tricks on him, as he would see something that would trigger a subconscious feeling of familiarity and then he would be immediately pushed back – almost forcefully and everything would become confusing and disorganised again. What was the use of having all this information if none of it allowed itself to be linked together?

But Tom _knew _it was linked together. As soon as he had realised that this was bigger than him as an individual, it was like he had forcefully ripped through a wall that had been previously pushing him back. A wall which had previously told him that his thoughts were 'crazy'… Every time his regular upbringing and normal life told him that these thoughts, occurrences and dreams were 'crazy' and seemingly coincidental 'accidents' he felt his subconscious furiously deny this. The strength of his subconscious had now become louder than what his environment and society dictated to him.

Squeezing his eyes tightly shut and breathing heavily, he re-opened them with an even stronger resolve and he put pen to paper and wrote… For almost two hours straight he wrote like a man possessed, only pausing at the significance of certain occurrences. He wrote about everything; Hermione, the dreams, the book of fairy-tales, strange occurrences, the symbolism of the snake, Abraxas, Slytherin, Tom Riddle, Runes… the people, the places… the school, the feeling of a different time and place… It was as though his mind was writing him an open letter. His hand didn't stop; it was like his body was just an instrument relaying a message. None of it was analytical, none of it was pre-determined and finally, none of it was calculated like it had been before.

His momentum slowed as his mind began to get tired. The emotional and psychological magnitude of what he had just done began to catch up with him. His mind, which had just been sharp as a tack for the last two hours began losing the previous drive which had spurred him on. The doubts began licking at his thoughts again, but the subconscious… it quickly pushed and fought the doubt… too much had been said and done now… it had gained too much ground on the doubt.

He didn't even hear the pen hit the ground or feel the book slide off his lap as his eyes snapped shut, his mind pulling him in and shutting him away from the doubts…

_Tom suddenly found himself standing in a large chamber. He looked around and stopped when he saw his own mirror image walking towards him, dressed in that same uniform of green and silver from other dreams. Behind him was the giant snake-like creature from his very first dream that told him to seek the truth._

"_Hello Tom Riddle." His mirror image said. "I see you've finally found us." He stopped walking and stood about a metre from where Tom was standing. The giant snake slithered out from behind him and began forming what felt like a protective ring around the two of them._

"_Who are you?" Tom asked, wondering why he was called 'Riddle' – yet again._

_His mirror image rolled his eyes, an arrogant smirk plastered on his face. "Not this again." He sighed and then began to imitate Tom in a mocking way, "Who am I? Why do these things keep happening to me? Who is Hermione? Why is a snake talking to me? Honestly! The answer is right here! Don't you see?" He said as he gestured around the giant cave-like chamber._

_Tom almost flinched at the now frustrated expression of the mirror image, but managed to keep his expression blank, which was good because his image began to speak again._

"_I've worked so hard… Do you know how difficult that Obliviate was to break through? Thankfully we're – " He said, gesturing a hand between the two of them, "quite intelligent. And special…" He looked at Tom with a calculating glint. "Yes Tom, you were absolutely __**right**__ to think that something was different about you."_

"_I feel as though I keep getting pushed back from what I am supposed to know." Tom explained. _

_His mirror image nodded; a glint in his eyes. "You were. Then you unexpectedly met Hermione, who unwittingly brought you closer to the truth." He said. The Snake hissed in what was almost an approving manner at the last comment. The image turned to the Snake and smirked, "Yes, she helps us with the truth, doesn't she? Her form is a rather surprising truth for us…" He said cryptically._

"_Is Hermione the truth?" Tom asked, losing some of his well-maintained patience and composure._

_The mirror image smirked. "It's who Hermione __**is**_**, **_Tom. It's __**what **__she is… You are, essentially, what she is too, Tom." _

_Tom felt confused at the explanation given. The Mirror Image seemed to sense this and took a step closer to Tom and held out his hand._

"_You have one more wall to break down, and then it will all be yours again – do you see?" He said, and Tom nodded slightly. "Take my hand and the final wall will fall down." He said, and Tom felt electricity swirl in the air as his image compelled him to come closer._

_Tom stared at the hand for some time, not knowing whether or not to reach out for it. The image sensed this and gestured his outstretched hand again._

"_Don't listen to the doubt, Tom. It doesn't want you to know. It wants you to keep being ignorant." He explained._

_Tom breathed in and out heavily. He felt as though he could hear the blood pumping in his ear, it was so constricting. He felt so unsure about what to do right now… what if something bad happened to him? _

_Just as he was thinking this, the giant serpent brushed himself against Tom's legs – almost in a strange, comforting way. It nudged him lightly and Tom took a small step forward._

"_The Heir." The Snake spoke, and both figures turned to look at the Snake. "Reunite the Heir!" the Snake demanded as he let his scales brush against one of Tom's hands. He felt the headiness of power in the touch of the snake. _

_At the Serpents prompting, Tom felt a wave of confidence and assurance roll through him. Slowly, but confidently, he began reaching out to his image…_

* * *

**... ! ... _dun, dun, dun! _Magical Cores seem to almost have their own personalities, don't they? ;)**

**How about our fave baddie (besides Tom, hehe) Rabastan and his new acquaintance Lou... How close do you think Lou was to Arsenio Lestrange? Rab wasn't as evil this time. I wanted to show the "switch" that many of the death eaters had when it came to who they dealt with in society... as in, who was acceptable and who wasn't...**

**Then of course, Kingsley... I want to keep showing that in government, often process gets in the way of action and not by the choice of workers either...**

**I hope the gift giving scene wasn't too OOC either... but he has Hermione on a huge pedestal so he is having trouble understanding and processing the emotions he feels when she does nice things for him.**

**... _please_ read and review xox**


	15. Chapter 15

**Hello Dear Readers, welcome to Ch15 - the follow-on to the cliffie I left you on last time (hehe). I have no idea why I was able to type this up so quickly - considering I had to re-write it twice and I have an exam next week *shifty eyes*.**

**Special thank you to thos who reviewed: C_berries, LK_HoGwArTs_hEaDgIrL, AwesomePersonlolxx, LeahHeartsTomRiddle, Megii_of_Mysteri_OusStranger, Shamonti, zypherblaze, CaBuckeye, abcdreamer, sweet-tang-honney, HereToRead84, Ceralyn, e_m_o_m_i_n_t, nikif, CheshireCat23, Kelly_Starr, ilovefireyredheads, jaspersluv1863 and the anon reviewer who didn't leave a name but left a wonderful message :) **

**Also, thank you to those who have alerted or favourited this story - :)**

**********Disclaimer****:** This story is based on characters created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoat Books, and Warner Bros. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.**  
**

* * *

_Are you hoping for a miracle? / It's not enough - Bloc Party (Helicopter)_

_If Tom had a chance to truly think about it, he would have observed how clichéd it all was. The touching of the hands, the blinding white light, the utter feeling of unity he felt as the light sunk into and around him. Both memories and fury fought for prominence, as his mirror image swirled around him, the light licking and caressing at his skin; seeping into him, like a reunion of epic proportions. _

'_Call me back, call me back' it repeated over and over. Tom felt himself slipping, but there was no pain as his body as it hit the ground. _

'_Call me back… Call me back…' It whispered as it swirled around him. _

_Its touch made him feel so untroubled. The relief that coursed through him as the light caressed at his fingertips was something so familiar… and something so missed. He felt his breath become heavier as the pleasure from the light became stronger._

'_Call me back Tom Riddle…' It whispered seductively._

_Tom sighed in pleasure, as the light visibly bristled and contorted around his body. He could barely see anything through the pure, almost white light, but what he could see was so magnificent, so powerful… so… everything. He just knew that it was absolutely __**everything**__ in this moment… in this lifetime… He pushed the doubt away, once and for all and the power welcomed him, welcomed him back like a lost lover. He knew what he had to do. _

"_Come back. Come back to me" Tom whispered hoarsely._

* * *

Rabastan sat comfortably in Lou's library, reading the Daily Prophet. It had been so long since he could sit, relax and read the paper – something that so many took for granted. He turned the pages, noting the current worries of the modern world. It was a bitter pill to swallow, every time there was a positive article on 'winning' the war against the 'evil' Lord Voldemort. Why couldn't anyone see or realise that the vision he had was the right direction for the wizarding world?

Didn't anyone understand that the constant kow-towing to mudbloods was damaging the wizarding world? Why exceptions were made for them, yet the wizarding world acted as though it was a 'dirty little secret' to the muggles angered Rabastan immensely. They should be going out and claiming their power and superiority… not hiding behind secret doors, muggle repellent spells and enchantments. Lord Voldemort would have taken them there… he would have made muggles aware of who should have been in control. He gritted his teeth in annoyance. If only it weren't for Harry _fucking_ Potter, he was sure that would be the direction they'd be going in.

Turning to the middle of the paper, he eyed the 'gossip and entertainment' section with much distaste – especially when he saw the journalist who took care of that section… _Rita Skeeter_. Merlin, that woman was annoying. That annoying Hufflepuff had always been a gossip. Even back when they were at Hogwarts, he recalled the secret 'underground' gossip spread sheet that she created which was circulated to all of the students on a weekly basis. The very same gossip spread sheet which halted any chances Rabastan ever got with Andromeda Black after Skeeter revealed it was _him _who jinxed that loser mudblood Ted Tonks for even deigning to talk to Andromeda. Skeeter then went into great detail about how Rabastan jinxed Tonks because of his "unrequited love" for Andromeda, and that he saw Tonks as being a love rival for her affections… Thanks to that awful cow he was the laughing stock of Slytherin house for weeks, Andromeda absolutely refused to talk to him _and _bloody Slughorn made him clean out and reorganise the potions storage cupboard because of the 'damaging rumours'. Huffing in anger he wondered who else was currently falling victim to that awful woman's quill. As he scanned her articles, one in particular caught his eye…

_**Cracks in the Golden Trio?**_

_It seems as though our favourite war heroes Harry Potter, Ronald Weasley and witch-on-the-move Hermione Granger are not as close as we all initially thought._

_Whilst 'chosen one' and defender of the light, Harry Potter attends Auror Training with Ronald Weasley and organises his upcoming wedding to Miss Ginerva Weasley, Ms Granger has decided that she would rather attend muggle university than work in the wizarding world._

_For the past few months Miss Granger, best known for helping Mr Potter defeat Voldemort and her choice in high-profile men, has been attending Oxford University to – as my sources tell me – "get away from the wizarding world"._

_One can only wonder why Miss Granger would want to "get away" indeed. Could it be because Mr Potter is now marrying Miss Weasley – or is it because of another altogether different reason?_

_My sources can exclusively reveal that Miss Granger is attending muggle classes with none other than Mr Draco Malfoy, heir to the Malfoy fortune and Mr Blaise Zabini, heir to the Zabini estate and Italian wizarding political royalty. Our sources can also reveal that Mr Zabini escorted Miss Granger to the engagement party of Harry Potter and Ginerva Weasley._

_Is there love in the air between the Gryffindor Princess and the Slytherin Prince? We can certainly say that Mr Zabini suits Miss Granger's preference for high profile boyfriends, having previously been romantically linked to Harry Potter and International Quidditch super-star Viktor Krum._

_One can only wonder how Mr Ronald Weasley is coping with this revelation…_

If Rabastan didn't hate the _pathetic _'Golden Trio' more than Rita Skeeter, he may have almost felt sorry for them coming under attack from her gossip quill. _So, the little mudblood was avoiding the wizarding world was she? Well, it's not like she belongs anyway! _Rabastan thought angrily as he studied a picture of said Golden Trio from their Hogwarts days. _Merlin! And now she is hanging out with Malfoy and that Zabini kid? _Rabastan wondered what was going on in this bizarro-like world that had those two hanging out with a mudblood… although a dirty side of him suddenly thought up a multitude of dirty reasons as to why… but he quickly shuddered at the idea of doing any of that sort of thing with a filthy mudblood. Maybe Malfoy and Zabini were trying to work on their reputations? He didn't really know the Zabini family that well at all, but it certainly wouldn't surprise him if Narcissa was pushing Draco to play 'friends' with Granger… They were always so predictable when it came to their image, which had been severely damaged when Lucius was finally sent to Azkaban for good. _What a pity they got rid of the dementors_, Rabastan smirked as he pictured prissy Lucius Malfoy having to live in Azkaban… _No peacocks there, Lucius! _

"Sickle for your thoughts?" a voice came from behind him and Rabastan quickly turned in surprise… he must have been so into his own thoughts he didn't even hear Lou enter the room.

Rabastan placed the paper down and looked up at her. "Oh, nothing much. Just enjoying the paper." He smirked.

Lou walked over and quickly scanned the page he was reading. "Ah, Rita Skeeter… she is truly awful, don't you think?"

Rabastan nodded his affirmation. "She's always been like that."

Lou smiled and moved to sit across from him. Rabastan had only been in her company a short while, but couldn't help but notice how calm she was about almost everything. She smiled gently at him.

"What are your plans for today?" She asked, breaking the silence that had settled.

"Nothing much… I can't really do anything on the run…" He said, a bit sarcastically.

Lou grinned at him. "You know, since the weather is warming up you could come out into the garden with me…"

Rabastan cocked an arrogant eyebrow at her. "Me? Do I look like the kind of person who likes gardening?"

Lou shrugged her shoulders, mirth apparent on her face. "Does it really matter if you do or not? It's something to do. Your Father liked to be in gardens, you know." She trailed off and stood up.

"I never got that impression of him." Rabastan answered in almost a sulky manner. There was so much he never really knew about his father. He was always busy with business, making money.

"Come on. Come outside and join me… I'll tell you some stories of your Father at school." She said and motioned for him to follow her as she began to walk out of the library.

"Okay, but I'm not doing _any _weeding!" Rabastan replied haughtily as if the idea of gardening was a huge burden.

* * *

"Like I said before, your father was one of the most popular boys in school." Lou said pleasantly, as Rabastan leaned against an old oak tree in her garden, allowing the sun to soak into his skin.

"How did you get to know him? Weren't you in Ravenclaw?"

"We were in a few classes together… We were partners in potions for two consecutive years – funnily enough." She responded with a that familiar faraway smile on her face. "We couldn't stand each other at first, I thought your father was so arrogant and uppity… he thought I was a – what do you call – a _bookworm_?"

Rabastan couldn't help the chuckle that came out at that. His father was rather arrogant – something he had indeed passed onto his sons.

"Anyway, Arsenio was always with his little group… This group had the whole school wrapped around their little finger… Arsenio, Avery, Malfoy… Riddle…"

Rabastan recognised all of those names except one. "Riddle? I don't ever recall that family name."

"Tom Riddle… Head boy, Slytherin Prefect… and the ring-leader of that little group… It's kind of strange actually. Riddle seemed to disappear off the face of the planet once we all hit our 30's – no one really knew what happened to him." Lou replied in a faraway tone with a strange frown suddenly invading her normally calm face.

Rabastan couldn't help the niggling feeling – as though he could recall a conversation or event as Lou spoke about his father's little group.

* * *

Slowly opening his eyes, Tom felt an indescribable amount of pain shoot through his body. Cracking his eyes open, he realised he was lying on his living room floor, in front of his couch.

He painfully tried to lift himself up from his position and groaned in exasperation. His body felt stiff and broken. Frustrated, he fell back to floor on his back wincing in pain, and impatiently allowed his body to regain its strength at a much slower pace.

As the pain slowly left his body and he started to regain some coherent thought, the physical pain left him and was replaced by a different kind of pain, which hurt much, much more. As his body painfully shook with fury and betrayal, for the first time ever, glass and lights shattered around him as Tom Marvolo Riddle screamed.

* * *

She carefully walked around her room, removing her earrings and putting them carefully away in their jewellery case before sitting at her dressing table and brushing out her long, silver hair. Louise Tallis couldn't hold back the memories that plagued her much more frequently ever since she had allowed Rabastan to hide out here. Not that the memories ever really went away anyway.

She wondered what Arsenio would say if he saw what his sons had both been reduced to… one rotting away in Azkaban and one living a life on the run. She almost wanted to blame him for the future that had been paved for those boys before they were even born, but she had never been able to hold Arsenio at fault – not for anything. No, that crown went to Tom Riddle, she thought bitterly, as she calmly continued her nightly beauty regime – with the same, calm, blank façade that she allowed Rabastan to see on a regular basis. Rabastan, who looked so much like his father…

Lou had become an expert at shielding her emotions over the years. It was the one thing had not only protected her physically, but her own heart as well. She was too clever to let much slip by, being a Ravenclaw – of course. So she wasn't stupid when it came to Rabastan's past and his support for the Dark Lord… or _Tom Riddle_, her mind corrected. Yes, Lou knew that Tom Riddle had been Lord Voldemort… not that she was willing to make her knowledge known, for even though he was now supposed to be dead, Lou still found it hard to believe that he was gone forever… _he had come back once before, hadn't he? _She thought pensively.

Her fists clenched in anger, _he took Arsenio away_, a tear slipped down her cheek as one memory in particular came back to her…

…_1944…_

_Louise wandered into her bedroom. It had been a tiring day of shopping with her Mother. Again. And what was worse, every time they went out they just "happened" to run into a male whom her Mother thought would be a suitable husband. Today she had the unfortunate embarrassment of having lunch with Avery… not only was he a classmate but best friends with Arsenio. Now __**that **__was an awkward social situation. She sighed and put her shopping bags down before collapsing on a chair and kicking her shoes off._

"_Tough day going on dates with my friends?" came a voice from her bed. Lou shrieked before she recognised the voice. There was Arsenio, in all his arrogant glory, lazing on her bed._

"_What are you doing here?" She hissed as he sat up and eyed her._

"_Well I just had to come and ask how the 'date' went." He said sarcastically. She could see the angry glint in his eyes when he said the word 'date'._

"_You have no right to ask... I should ask how the planned engagement is going with Elena." She sniffed haughtily and picked up her shoes to put them away in her robe closet, effectively turning her back on him._

"_Don't be like that Lou… you know that I don't have a choice." He said quietly, all of the previous arrogance disappearing._

_Lou slammed the shoes into her wardrobe and balled her fists tightly. "Still doesn't stop you from kissing her in public… or… or Merlin knows what else!" she cried._

"_She is going to be my WIFE! I have a part to play!" He roared, causing Lou to stiffen in fright as she turned around to face him._

"_Well why are you here?" She yelled as tears began to fall down her cheeks, uncontrollably. How much more could she handle of this?_

_The look of concern that appeared on his face as he saw the tears on Lou's face made her heart break even more for the man that she could never have, a man who would only be hers in secret._

"_Please don't cry…" He said sadly as he took several long strides across her room and pulled her into his arms. "Lou, please don't cry because of me." He said as he hugged her tightly._

"_I'm sorry." She whispered into his shirt and allowed herself to melt against him, allowed herself to take in that scent that she loved so much. "I can't take much more of this Arsenio."_

"_I know love." He bent his head down and kissed the top of her head. _

_Louise lifted her head up to look in his eyes, and shivered when she saw his expression… life was so unfair! She thought bitterly, as he looked to be hurting just as much as she was. _

_Her stomach twisted as he suddenly bent down and softly kissed her lips, whist bringing one of his hands up to brush the tears away from her face. She slowly wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him closer as she returned his kiss. Merlin! It had only been a week and she had missed him so much… A week after she had told him to stop coming and seeing her. She couldn't keep doing this, yet she loved him so much – how could she ever truly say 'good-bye' to him?_

_She pressed herself closer to him, needing to feel his body against hers. Panic crushed her at the thought of life without him, life without him being near in any shape or form. No, who was she kidding? She could never leave him. He was her everything. As she moulded herself into him further she heard a gasp of pain – coming from Arsenio? Pulling away, she saw the remnants of a wince of pain on his handsome face._

"_What's wrong?" She said with concern as she watched him unconsciously bring one of his hands to his rib cage._

"_It's nothing serious. Leave it." He said with a slight grimace._

"_It's him, isn't it?" She asked angrily, as she led him over to the bed to sit down. "Why do allow this to happen, Arsenio? He is nothing but an orphan half-blood! Merlin knows why he holds any influence at all!" She said angrily as she cupped his cheek protectively. _

"_Don't speak like that Lou! If he ever found out you spoke like that…" He hissed._

"_He'd what? What would he do?" She spat angrily. "He has no hold over me!" _

"_Merlin Lou, just don't, okay? I couldn't handle it if he ever came after you." He said in a much softer tone. "He would hurt you to punish me… he knows okay? He knows that I still continue to see you despite Elena. That I can't stay away…"_

_Lou frowned. "Why hasn't he threatened me yet?" She looked at him… Arsenio suddenly looked away, ashamed. It all suddenly clicked. "What does he want?" She asked through gritted teeth. "Why does he injure you, and make you approach me like a coward?" _

"_Please don't say that Lou. I love you. I love you so much. I would never use you… it's just he… I'm injured because I questioned him about even approaching you about this…" He said sadly. "I told him that you didn't want to see me anymore because of Elena… He wasn't pleased at what he said was my 'impudence'."_

_Lou decided not say anymore on the subject. She knew that Arsenio was embarrassed enough as it is by having to approach her for something in such a way. _

"_He… he found out about your father's library. He knows that it is one of the most valuable libraries in Great Britain." Arsenio began, as he took her hand and led her over to her bed, pulling her down with him._

"_How did he find that out?" Lou knew her father could sometimes be a boastful man, but it wasn't as if he ran in the same circles as filthy orphan half-blood Tom Riddle. _

"_Apparently he overheard Slughorn saying that your father has some rather valuable books…"_

"_Of course!" Lou said without thinking. "Slughorn has always wanted my father to come along to one of those ridiculous 'slug club' parties…"_

"_Yes, and when he found about one book in particular… well you can only imagine." Arsenio sighed and leaned back on her pillows, pulling her into his embrace._

"_Which book?" She asked as she felt his hand caress her shoulders lightly._

"_Apparently it's called 'Vampyres and Magick: Theories on Vampyre Blood'." He responded whilst planting a soft kiss on the top of her head._

_Of course she knew of the book. It was a first edition that her father had inherited. It had been in her family for generations. _

"_That's been in my family for generations." Lou replied, sadly, knowing that Arsenio could be tortured if she didn't hand it over. "Could I make a copy? My father would kill me if it went missing." She said as she snuggled closer to him._

"_He only wants to borrow it, says that he will give it back to you when he's done." Arsenio replied quietly._

_Lou knew what her answer was, straight away. She would never let Arsenio be tortured, even if she did have to give the book to that evil git._

"_Okay." She replied quietly. "But next time he wants to borrow anything, he comes to me. He is not allowed to talk to you about it. That is my condition." She said with more conviction._

"_Lou…" Arsenio began to say worriedly._

"_No Arsenio, I mean it. He is a coward to threaten you to get to me. He is trying to make you appear to be weak!" She said as she looked up at him._

"_I love you." He said softly and captured her lips again. "I can't lose you…" He murmured against her lips as his hands travelled over her in a way that made her shiver. _

"_I love you, too." She replied, pulling him down to her and returning his kiss desperately._

"_Don't threaten to leave me again." He whispered as he began unbuttoning her blouse…_

* * *

Everything was flooding back to him with renewed clarity… memories from being both Tom Riddle _and _the now-detested Tom Smith. By now, Tom had managed to push himself up, albeit painfully and sit back on his couch, head in hands, as he attempted to gain some control and organisation over what he was thinking. It was proving to be difficult though. Some thoughts were hazy, yet some had surprising and startling clarity. He took some deep breaths and attempting to clear his mind and start where he most needed to.

Albus Dumbledore had obliviated Tom – well indirectly, anyway… _why did the old coot still felt the need to interfere in his life even when he was dead from a portrait! _Tom balled his fists in anger, holding them so tightly he began to feel his nails digging into the skin of his palms.

He remembered the day he awoke and regained consciousness on that trolley in what was obviously a room in the Ministry. How Dumbledore had patronised him even via a bloody portrait – asking him things whilst he was still confused. _Of course,_ once Tom had time to think about where he was and _how _he got there, he realised that it had been more than a year since graduating from Hogwarts…

_That old man!_ He thought angrily… what if the spell required some kind of maintenance after the effects came into place? What if he needed to further administer treatment and they had just gone and turned him into a filthy muggle! Careless, idiotic Ministry fools! Tom could barely contain his rage at what he believed to be such irresponsible behaviour towards magic.

Thankfully, the magic didn't require further action once the potion had been administered. Tom had to allow one of his famous smirks to grace his handsome face… He had been given another chance. The magic had worked! He had been powerful enough to succeed where he knew other wizards had failed. At 19 years old, Tom Marvolo Riddle had successfully cast magic which allowed him to have another chance at life… Smugly, he remembered back to all those years ago, when he had first heard of the magic; little did he know it would bring him to the year 1999…

… _1944…_

_Tom sauntered down the halls of Hogwarts… soon it would all be coming to an end and he would have to leave _**his **_beloved castle, he thought bitterly. Damn Dippet for not giving him that teaching position! He was sure that idiotic Transfiguration Professor had something to do with it as well… He was _always _sticking his nose into other people's business. Tom tried to keep his face impassive, but found it difficult to not sneer at the thought of Dippet and Dumbledore talking about 'poor Tom Riddle'. Well, he would show them that he neither needed nor wanted their pity. Their uses would soon come to an end. _

_He continued making his way down the hall, 'head boy' badge glinting proudly from his chest. Students quickly parted for him, either out of admiration or fear – he really didn't care either way. There was only one thing that Tom Riddle was worried about at the moment… and that was if Lestrange came through with that book. If he could – and he wouldn't dare fail, Tom would have extra protection if something ever happened to his Horcruxes. _

_The magic was incredibly old and many of the ingredients were only available in Eastern Europe – including the Vampire blood needed. Thankfully it was not very well known to anyone, so if the safety of his Horcruxes were ever threatened, he would be essentially re-born, giving him another chance at chasing immortality. No, the spell itself would not make him immortal, but it would almost 're-enervate' him if he were to be killed – no matter what age he was… even if he was an old coot like Dumbledore… if someone killed him he would emerge again as his 19 year old self. _

"_Tom!" He heard someone shouting his name out from behind him. It made him grit his teeth in annoyance. He hated it when people called out to him like that. Turning around, he saw Louise Tallis walking towards him quickly. Tom immediately pasted an impassive expression on his face._

"_Louise, what can I do for you?" He asked politely._

"_Can I talk to you in private please?" She looked up at him. Tom studied her… she was a semi-attractive girl, but Tom still couldn't understand why Lestrange was screwing around with a girl like that when his marriage was arranged to Elena._

_Pasting a polite smile on his face, he responded. "Sure. I think the Arithmancy room is free – if that's okay?" He asked in mock politeness._

"_Yes, that's fine." She replied with a blank face almost as good as his own._

_They both quickly walked towards the room and Tom allowed her to enter before he followed her in, casting a silencing spell and magically locking the door._

"_What can I do for you Louise?" He said, still keeping his polite façade as she made her way over to a desk and sat her book satchel on it. _

_Turning around, she faced him, and he noted the current glint in her eyes. "Arsenio told me you were after one of my father's books."_

_Tom's face didn't betray the current anger that shot through him at the girl's impudence for coming straight to him instead of giving the book to Lestrange. He smiled politely at her. "I simply wanted to borrow it… I understand it is the only one in Great Britain… it would help with some research I'm doing."_

_The girl had the nerve to narrow her eyes at him slightly. They both knew they were dancing around the truth, yet neither was willing to admit to it… just yet._

"_Regardless of whatever you need it for Riddle…" Tom narrowed his eyes dangerously as she sneered his name, "I have it here with me."_

_Immediately Tom's expression changed from one of mild distaste to one of pure curiosity as she opened her bag and delicately removed the book._

"_Why did you not give it to Lestrange?" Tom demanded, as he stepped towards her, noting that she flinched slightly as he stood over her._

"_The book has special care instructions whilst handling it… some of the spells are extremely dark, I need to be the one to hand it over to you as a Tallis… to grant you permission to touch and use it."_

_Tom eyed her and then the book in excitement. This really _was _the real deal! He thought as she got her wand out and moved to another table and sat the book down delicately. _

_She held her hand out and gestured for him to come over to her. "Give me your hand; we need to hold hands over the book." She explained._

_Tom grabbed onto her hand and noted with glee how her hand trembled when he touched it. She must be a great actress to be able to pretend that she isn't afraid, Tom thought as he smirked at her. She closed her eyes and began moving her wand in a complicated motion to settle the wards on the book. Tom watched in fascination as a silvery light began to emit from their joined hands… Merlin! He would never get sick of seeing and experiencing new magic. And this was very old magic… something only pureblood families like the Blacks or Malfoys would use with their possessions. Tom did not realise that the Tallis family was perhaps just as old in their traditions… something important he had obviously overlooked. Tom looked at Louise again and gained a small respect for the little pureblooded chit as she continued using her wand to work through the books wards. _

"_I bequeath Tom Marvolo Riddle __'Vampyres and Magick: Theories on Vampyre Blood' to use with the same powers as the House of Tallis." She said out loud, before she slashed her wand diagonally down – allowing it to touch Tom's hand – before she moved the wand to book, causing it to glow in a faint red sheen, before she quietly chanted several words – in latin? Though unfortunately Tom could not hear what exactly she said because it was done in such a low voice. _

"_Let this vow allow him to travel safely in using this book…" She then whispered._

_The light eventually died down and Louise let go of Tom's hand quickly – as if it burnt her. "You must return the book within a year to my family, otherwise it will curse you. And no, there is nothing I can do about that - even if I wanted to – the magic is almost as old as Merlin himself to protect our family's possessions." She stated firmly. "Only a Tallis can possess the book forever. This spell just allows you to 'borrow' it." She explained, and pushed the book towards him. _

"_I must say Louise, you and your family are just full of surprises." Tom replied, though his attention was not on the girl as he picked the book up and held it in his hands. It was still warm from the spell. He could feel the old and dark magic emanating from the book as he held it in his hands. Merlin! It felt so beautiful as he allowed his own magic to tap into the darkness around it._

_He turned and watched Louise as she collected her book back and went to leave. She took another look at him, and then silently turned to walk towards the door. _

"_Louise." He called out and saw her flinch and stopped walking, though she remained with her back turned to him._

"_Yes?" She said as she slowly inclined her head to look back at him._

_He walked up behind her and put his hand on her shoulder. She jerked under his touch and he smirked as he leant down to her ear. "Now I know what Arsenio sees in you." He said quietly, feeling her tremble underneath him. "I promise not to punish your boyfriend for you approaching me in such an impudent manner." He chuckled as she exhaled a breath in relief. "Next time though, you do not approach me as an equal." He hissed as he squeezed her shoulder tightly, causing her to gasp._

_She inclined her head, indicating that she understood and he released her shoulder. She quickly walked towards the door, as Tom sauntered after her – taking down the complicated silencing and locking spells with his wand as if it were nothing._

_As they walked back out into the corridor, Arsenio just happened to walk around the corner with Elena following him like a little lap dog. Louise had already begun to walk off in the other direction so she hadn't noticed them. Tom decided to have a bit of fun as he noticed Arsenio eye them suspiciously._

_Turning and watching for Louise's reaction, Tom called out in a friendly manner. "Ah! Well if it isn't the two love birds… Arsenio and Elena! Fancy seeing you two here!" He watched with glee as Louise immediately halted and stiffened, turning around to face them. Tom quickly went over and stood beside Louise._

"_Tom, Louise." Arsenio said and Tom noticed how his gaze fell longingly on Louise. _

"_Hello Tom, Louise." Elena tittered as she sidled up next to Arsenio, placing her hand on his forearm. _

_Louise simply inclined her head towards the two of them whilst Tom gave his most charming smile, causing Elena to giggle and flick her hair. _

"_What are you two up to?" Elena then asked rather stupidly. In that moment Tom thought that he had probably made a mistake thinking that Elena was the better catch… she may be more attractive but Merlin! The girl tittered like an idiot!_

"_Oh, we were just having a private conversation." Tom replied with a hint of sheepishness in his voice as he discreetly inclined his head towards the empty classroom. He felt Louise stiffen beside him as she caught on to what he was insinuating. He relished watching as Arsenio's gaze suddenly became heartbroken as he looked at Louise. She looked down, cheeks pink, avoiding his gaze. _

_Elena, falling for Tom's act hook, line and sinker giggled like an idiot. "Oh! Well don't let us keep you! Come on Arsenio, I'd like to take a walk around the lake." She said as she batted her lashes up at him. Tom noted that he didn't really take any notice though, as he was too busy staring at Louise. _

"_Oh! Well don't let us hold you back." Tom replied jovially, sending a wink to Elena and smirking at Arsenio._

"_Well see you both later then." Elena replied in a friendly manner before grabbing and tugging on Arsenio's hand. He jerked, finally realising what was going on. _

"_Yes, see you both around." Tom said. _

"_Tom… Louise." Arsenio replied in a defeated tone as Elena pulled him away. Louise didn't reply and remained standing there sullenly looking down._

_Once they had left Louise looked up and Tom noted the flushed look of anger on her face and that her eyes were now swimming with tears. She gave one look at him before beginning to walk away._

_Tom watched her, before calling out. "Louise?" _

_Louise stopped, kept her back turned and appeared to be looking up at the ceiling in frustration. "Yes, Tom?" Her voice was controlled, but non-the-less, the anger was still obviously there. _

"_You are the better catch." He said suddenly – which felt incredibly out of character for him - and watched her shoulders sag in sadness._

_She turned and looked at him. "It doesn't matter. It's not as if it will ever matter." She stared at him blankly._

_Tom simply inclined his head and then turned and walked away, knowing that was why he _**never **_bothered with emotions such as love._

* * *

Tom looked down at his hands – the hands of a young man at 19 – certainly not 73. He still wondered why he felt the need to call on the magic he had cast on himself all those years ago. He was especially confused because at the time he wasn't even sure if he had cast that particular spell properly – not that he'd ever admit that little tid-bit to anyone else. What made him so desperate he would drink the potion that could activate the magic upon his death? Was he expecting to die? Who exactly would want to kill him? Did that mean his all of his Horcruxes had been destroyed? Who would've found them? He was always so cautious-

_Of course!_

His body ached and his hands shook uncontrollably as it dawned on him. _Hermione._ He felt nauseous all of a sudden. _His Hermione._ She was a witch! It explained absolutely everything… the strange occurrences, the brief bit of magic he had seen that time… even some of the words she had accidently let slip. His magic had led him to her, like it was fate or something. Tom had always had a belief in prophecies and fate… Hermione coming to him was his homecoming… It was all so obvious he could laugh! Her notes… the book… She knew who Voldemort was – did that mean she knew who he was now?

He felt sick as he remembered what he had read in her notes. She had known about the Horcruxes:

"_What about Horcruxes? We don't even know where all of them are …"_

"… _We need to find them. Where would __**I**__ hide them, if I was him?"_

"_Horcruxes are the only key now … we must find them …"_

That little bitch! He felt the familiar and tantalising feeling of anger and hatred coursing through him at the thought of Hermione possibly betraying him. Does that mean that she knew the he – Tom Smith the _muggle_ – was Voldemort? _No, no, no!_ His mind decided, it couldn't… she was a terrible actress and wouldn't be able to pretend to not know him – or sleep with him for that matter. He didn't want to recognise the small part of his mind that told him that she wouldn't do that _to him_, that she _cared _about him. That she was _loyal _to him.

He was loathe to admit the possibility of a group of teenagers hunting down and destroying his Horcruxes. How many had he made in the end? He couldn't recall whether Hermione had mentioned the exact number in her notes and didn't have the will to check right now… to have his failure written out, in front of his eyes was too much to bear right now. He knew that at this age he had created the diary, the ring and Ravenclaw's diadem… he had a feeling that he must have created more.

Still reeling from Hermione's unwitting betrayal, he ran his hands through his hair – tugging at the ends tightly. He knew nothing of the intermediate 50 or so years of his life, between casting the spell and now… except for Hermione's notes. It made him feel so inadequate to know so little of what happened to him. What was technically his older self must have had a great fear of being killed to risk using this magic, knowing that it would wake him to have no knowledge of how he had lived his life.

He tried to control the bubbling anger that threatened to take over as he had to rely on someone else's meagre information and knowledge about himself. Hermione… she was a witch who had… fought him? He suddenly recalled the scars on her body, the occasional haunted look in her eyes, the feelings he gleaned from her notes… had they fought in some kind of war?

_The scar…_

He suddenly remembered the red, angry scar across her stomach and her rather pathetic attempt to cover up how she received it. He felt a hot flush of shame now that he realised how she had gotten it… any _wizard _would see that scar as a remnant of an extremely dark curse. Yet he was treated like a stupid muggle. His magic was taken from him! Furiously he gritted his teeth, trying to control the absolute rage that coursed through his core at his magic being denied to him for so long. _How dare Albus Dumbledore take that from him! How dare Albus Dumbledore humiliate him! _What if he continued to live as a muggle until he died? Tom thought, in complete disgust. If it weren't for-

_If it weren't for Hermione, _he swallowed thickly, his throat suddenly feeling constricted – though he couldn't identify why.

Hermione. Tom recalled the dream-like sequence of what he now knew was his magic reuniting with him, and what it had revealed…

"_Then you unexpectedly met Hermione, who unwittingly brought you closer to the truth." He said. The Snake hissed in what was almost an approving manner at the last comment. The image turned to the Snake and smirked, "Yes, she helps us with the truth, doesn't she? Her form is a rather surprising truth for us…"_

So who was Hermione Granger? Who was the witch who, in a fate-like manner, had led him back to his true self? He certainly didn't recall the name 'Granger' as a famous name in the wizarding world… so perhaps she was a half-blood? Or even worse… _a mudblood_. He could almost smirk at the ludicrous idea that a mudblood reuniting him with his magic would be fate's cruel way of mocking him.

Yet, whatever she was, now that he recognised his own magic, he _had _felt her power. All this time, it had been his magic reaching out to hers… _This whole time_, he sighed. She must be a powerful witch… Only a powerful witch could help reunite him with his magic after such an obviously strong obliviate.

The Grandmother was the key, Tom thought bitterly. _Dear old Grandmother Figg…_ He mocked… Who the hell was she? Why was she pretending to be his Grandmother in the first place? Was this part of some elaborate plan? Was he on constant Auror watch?

He contemplated that idea for a while before he remembered something… When they had obliviated him, there were initially three – if you counted Dumbledore's portrait – but then only Dumbledore and the dark man were present when the actual spell was cast. Did that mean that the only people who were aware of what happened were the dark skinned man, his 'Grandmother' for all intents and purposes and the old fools portrait?

Tom actually considered it seriously… it _was _quite possible. He knew he needed more information, but to get more information he needed a wand… Of course, it always came back to her…

_Hermione. _

Tom quickly gathered his things… And Merlin, it felt so damn good to say that he was going to spend the night with _his witch…_

* * *

***comes out from hiding spot* So... he knows! **

**Man, can I just say that I am *so* glad that is finally out in the open, lol. ****Also, I know I focused A LOT on Lou in this chapter too... I hope you guys can see why and I hope you enjoyed the little snippets from the past. And now you know why she'll protect and look after Rabastan. For the record, no, Rab is not her secret son or anything like that. Oh I would love to write a story on Lou and Arsenio now, hehe ;)**

**Also, remember that Kingsley only has tabs on his purposeful magic... not accidental "I'm a muggle hating supremicist who just found out that I have been tricked into believing I am a muggle for the last almost year" magic and I'm gonna break shit in an angry rage, lol. Stupid huh? No way! as if the govt would do something stupid... *get out!* **

**Completely off topic:**

**How fucking epic was the Ultima Ratio update today? Frig-a-dig... that duel! *fans self***

**AND... I have another Tom/Hermione story that I would like to pimp out... it's called "Right Place, Wrong Time?" Some of you I know have already read and reviewed, but for those who haven't, please check it out :)**

**Please be lovely and leave a review xox I reply to all non-anonymous reviews - no matter how great or small!**


	16. Chapter 16

**Hello! Welcome to Chapter 16... I hope it lives up to your expectations...**

**Many thanks to: mad_bout_horses_nd_cowboys, f4vivian, CheshireCat23, Azura_Soul_Reaver, ak269, Dream_a_Dream123, ItsUpToYou, jazzflame, aringle42, somebody french, HereToRead84, sweet_tang_honney, anonymous, Megii_of_Mysteri_OusStranger, Nerys, Bloombright, LeahHeartsTomRiddle, LK_HoGwArTs_hEaDgIrL, AwesomePersonlolxx, Shamonti, Ceralyn, e_m_o_m_i_n_t, WannaLove, Kelly_Starr, ilovefireyredheads, jaspersluv1863 and CaBukeye for reading and reviewing! you guys rock my socks (seriously).**

**Thank you to everyone who alerted or favourited this story too :)**

**This story is rated M... **

**************Disclaimer****:** This story is based on characters created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoat Books, and Warner Bros. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

* * *

_Now it's your time / and you know where you stand / with a gun in your hand / with a gun in your hand / now I'm no longer an ordinary man / was this your big plan, your gun in your hand? / and i say / you can't get enough /_  
_no you can't get enough - Kings of Leon (Be Somebody)_

Hermione was clearing up her dinner when the phone rang. She quickly ran over to the phone and picked it up. "Hello?"

"Hermione, hey, it's Blaise."

Hermione was surprised that he had called. She was still getting used to the fact that Blaise and Draco now used muggle appliances in their flat. "Oh, hello! How are you?"

"Erm good. You sound cheery." He said rather tentatively.

"Should I have a reason not to be cheery?" She questioned.

"Uh – well, no… it's just… um, have you seen today's Daily Prophet?"

"Nooo… haven't had a chance… why?" She asked, wondering why Blaise was acting so strange.

"I think you should… It, ah, looks like Rita Skeeter is back to her old tricks again."

_Rita Skeeter? _Hermione suddenly had a terrible sinking feeling in her gut. Hadn't she taught that awful woman a lesson already?

"Why do I have a bad feeling about what I'm about to read?" Hermione tried to put a bit of humour in her voice but failed miserably.

"Look you may not think it's that bad in the end, but you may get some mail about it." Blaise commented, whilst Hermione went into her living room and picked up the unread copy.

"Is it howler worthy?" She joked.

"Um… I don't know about _howler _worthy…"

"What page?" She asked as she flipped it open.

"Check the gossip and entertainment section… in the middle."

Hermione finally reached the middle of the paper and surely enough; there was a large picture of her with Harry and Ron accompanying the article – not to mention an awful 'glamour' photo of the one woman… well actually, make that one _of _the woman – if you included Dolores Umbridge and Professor Trelawney too – Hermione detested the most. Blaise remained silent as Hermione quickly scanned the article, getting more furious after every word.

"_That woman! _She makes me – makes me look like I've deserted the wizarding world!" Hermione fumed.

"It's not like that though." Blaise tried to soothe.

Hermione clicked her tongue in annoyance. "It doesn't matter what we know… _Everyone _will see that article and I bet you anything I will be painted as the ungrateful witch with a penchant for 'high profile' men – yet again!" She replied sarcastically.

"Well… do you?" Blaise asked, and Hermione could tell he was smiling by the tone of his voice.

Hermione was slightly confused for a moment as she looked at the article again. "Do I what?" She asked, sounding somewhat annoyed at his question.

"You know… have a penchant for 'high profile' men?" He asked in a strange tone.

_Wait, is he flirting?_ Hermione's mouth gaped slightly, and was pleased that Blaise wasn't actually there to see her. "Um… what?"

"I think you heard me…" He trailed off.

Hermione blushed. "I…ah…No! That's just what Rita Skeeter says!"

Blaise chuckled and Hermione found herself blushing even further. "Whatever Hermione… when you get bored with that muggle-"

"I will not be getting bored!" Hermione interrupted hotly. "And anyway, what's made you so outspoken all of a sudden?" She decided to turn the tables on him… if he was going to be flirtatious and insult her boyfriend then he could tell her what this sudden change of 'Malfoy-ish' style attitude was all about.

Blaise was silent for a second before answering. "Well, maybe I like the sound of the Slytherin Prince and the Gryffindor Princess?" He answered, quoting the article. Hermione could tell that there was mirth in his tone, but a serious undertone as well.

Hermione let out a deep breath. She didn't know how to approach this, it's not like she had ever really had men competing for her attention previously. In some ways it kind of annoyed her that Blaise was doing this _now, _considering how aloof and cold he was at school. Before she could answer him though, she heard a knocking at her door. _Now, who could that be? _She wondered. _Tom? Hopefully… _It would be a great way to get out of this awkward social situation.

"Oh, someone just knocked on the door. I better get going…" _Saved by the bell! _

"Sure…" He said, disbelievingly.

"No, I'm being serious… There really _is _someone at the door." Hermione explained, and the door was knocked at again, this time louder. "Coming!" Hermione yelled towards the door. "See! I told you so!"

"Okay, okay… go see who is at the door. I'll see you at uni." Blaise said, sounding slightly disappointed.

"Okay, bye." Hermione replied quickly.

* * *

Blaise hung up the phone and sighed, running his hands through his hair, looking up as Draco entered the room.

"So, how did it go?" Draco asked, waggling his eyebrows, as he sat down on the couch.

Blaise shook his head and then picked up a couch cushion and pegged it at Draco's head.

"Hey! What was that for?" Draco complained as he rubbed the spot where the cushion had unceremoniously hit him in the head.

"I am never listening to your girl 'advice' ever again… I think I actually scared her off!" Blaise replied in exasperation.

Draco quickly recovered from being assaulted by a cushion and scoffed. "How could my advice scare her off? You did use the line about the Gryffindor Princess and Slytherin Prince, right?"

Blaise just stared at him and then rolled his eyes.

"_Merlin! _What about the line of getting bored with what's-his-name?" Draco asked.

Blaise looked away, scowling. "I am _never _listening to you ever again! I'm pretty sure I just ruined things!"

"Now wait just a second… It is quite obvious that Granger is a different kind of girl than what we are used to dealing with… we just need to look at our tactics." Draco reasoned.

"No! I will do things _my _way. You… well, _you _will just stay out of it!" Blaise retorted. "And I'm pretty sure it was her precious muggle boyfriendwho was at the door… who she seems to have no intention of leaving." He crossed his arms and huffed in annoyance.

Draco rolled his eyes. "Just forget about her, man. If you want a nice piece of arse I hear that Tracey Davis is single _and _willing."

Blaise rolled his eyes. "I'm not interested in Tracey Davis…"

"Ooooh I think Blaise is in _love!"_ Draco teased whilst fluttering his eyelashes and bringing his hand to his forehead in a dramatic fashion.

Blaise scowled. "If you don't shut it, I'll hex your balls off!"

* * *

Hermione quickly made her way down the hallway towards the front door, before hearing it knock again. "Coming, just a second!" _Bloody impatient people, _Hermione thought as she pulled the door open.

Standing there was Tom, with a smug looking grin on his face as he leaned on one of the hallway walls. "Hello, Hermione." He drawled and pushed himself off the wall. _Oh, this is a nice surprise, _Hermione thought as she looked him up and down.

"Hello…" Hermione took in his current gait and wondered what had him looking so smug. "You look very pleased with yourself." Hermione replied with a smile, watching as his grin turned into a full-blown smirk.

"Maybe I'm pleased to see _you_…" He said as he stepped towards her, pulling her into his arms.

Hermione laughed, "It's not as if we haven't seen each other in months, you know."

Tom didn't respond, he just continued smirking at her and then leant down and kissed her demandingly. Hermione eagerly responded, wrapping her arms around his neck as he pulled her flush against him, his hands moving up and down her body.

Hermione laughed and pulled herself away from him. "This is certainly a nice surprise… I think we should take this inside." she said as she laced her fingers through his and pulled him through the door.

Tom slammed the door behind him and pushed her against the wall. "I couldn't have said it better myself." He murmured as Hermione felt him press against her again and bury his head between her neck and collarbone, where he began kissing and nipping immediately.

Hermione sighed in pleasure and ran her hands through his thick hair, "What's all this?" She asked with a note of curiously.

Tom stopped his ministrations and looked up at her, eyes dark with want. "What do you mean?"

"This." She said as she gestured between the two of them.

"Well…" Tom smirked again, much to Hermione's annoyance. "Maybe," He began lightly, as he kissed the corner of her lips, "I am," he moved his hands down and gripped her thighs tightly, "excited," and lifted her up against the wall, forcing her to wrap her legs around his hips, "to see you."

Before Hermione could respond he began kissing her, pressing her firmly against his body and the wall. Hermione felt her cheeks redden as she noticed him hardening against her.

She broke slightly away from his kiss, breathless. "Maybe we should move this elsewhere?"

Tom raised his eyebrows and then pushed against her again. Hermione noted he was already completely hard and in automatic response, she subtly rolled her hips against him. His hands tightened their grip on her thighs to almost bruising and his pupils were now completely dilated.

"Hermione dear, what are you wearing?" He said almost too smoothly for Hermione, considering the current glint in his eyes.

Hermione looked down at her outfit… _a cotton skirt and a tee shirt? _Why was he suddenly bringing that up now? Did he not like her outfit? She looked back up at him with a questioning look, causing him to smirk.

"Ah, you are much too innocent for your own good – did you know that?" He said, looking smug, and leant down and quickly kissed her on the lips. "You know I was so pleased to see you in a skirt…" He whispered against her lips.

Oh! _Ooooooh! _Hermione blushed even harder as she realised what he was talking about and quickly ducked her head. She had never even thought of that!

"So no… I don't think we will take this elsewhere…" He grinned and ran his hands up her thighs, dragging her skirt up higher as he went. "I think we are quite fine here."

Before Hermione could even respond he was kissing her again, with a demanding fierceness that made it difficult for her to keep up with him. Hermione wrapped her arms around him, gripping him tightly even though she was currently being supported by both the wall and his hands, which were travelling further and further up her skirt. She felt his hands drag all the way up, until her skirt had completely hiked up over her hips, exposing her underwear.

Hermione sighed as one his hands left her behind and slipped into her underwear, his cool, skilled fingers making her immediately shudder as he began stroking her whilst sucking on her neck – which was sure to leave marks later on, _not _that she really cared at this moment in time.

He grinded himself against her again as he pressed one of his fingers inside of her, causing her to audibly moan. She instinctively loosened one of her hands from around his neck and let it travel down his chest and reach his jeans. When she reached the top button of his jeans she had to pause, as she felt his thumb press against her clit, and took a sharp intake of breath. He looked her in the eye as he inserted another finger and began to move them inside her, causing her to gasp, whilst he never once broke eye contact.

She moved her fingers under the hem of his shirt and ran her finger tips against his lower abdomen and hips, before moving them back to the button of his jeans, causing his gaze to completely darken – the want in his eyes quite obvious. Hermione undid the button and pulled the zipper down, allowing her hand to move inside his boxer shorts and run her fingers up and down his hardness, causing him to groan in appreciation.

He broke eye contact with her and began nipping and kissing her neck again, whilst Hermione began moving her hand up and down his hardness. She felt him suddenly remove his fingers from inside of her and pull her underwear to the side.

"Now." He demanded against her neck. Hermione, in return, gripped his length and pulled him closer. Tom wasted no time, and Hermione felt him quickly enter her, causing her to moan as both of his hands moved to grip her thighs tightly and began thrusting in and out of her rather roughly against the wall.

"_Tom," _She moaned and further tightened her legs around his hips, allowing his thrusts to deepen. The position they were in allowed her to feel him pressing against her and she buried her face against his neck, kissing him softly and gently – in such contrast to the harried movements they were currently making.

Tom moaned in pleasure and bent his head down, quickly capturing her lips and kissing her demandingly. She felt that familiar need begin to build, and soon enough, all she could concentrate on was meeting his thrusts and the wonderful pressure that was building inside of her, causing her to lose all inhibitions as she rocked her hips against him desperately.

Their sex was so frenzied she wasn't even expecting it when her orgasm suddenly took over, causing her to lose control as she felt herself immediately tighten around him – not even noticing the loud cry she emitted as she came.

Lolling her head back Hermione couldn't keep the relaxed smile off her face as she came down from her high and Tom continued thrusting in and out of her. She eyed him and noticed the smirk on his face as he took in her sated expression; she knew he was close to his own release. He leant forward and sucked on her neck and then nipped her ear lobe.

"Whose are you Hermione?" He breathed against her ear, causing pleasant shivers to run through her body.

"Yours." She whispered and hugged him tightly, too enraptured in the moment to think about anything else.

Hermione felt Tom exhale loudly against her neck and then suddenly stilled and shuddered, moaning against her neck as he filled her with his release.

* * *

Tom smirked as he stared down at the little witch sleeping beside him. He didn't know what had exactly caused him to take her against the wall late last night… all he knew was that as soon as she answered the door he wanted to claim her – as Tom _Riddle_, not Tom _Smith_.

His little_ Gryffindor Lioness_. Yes, many things had been coming back to Tom as he regained his knowledge and memories. As he had walked to Hermione's flat, he had suddenly remembered seeing that picture on Hermione's bookshelf of her with her little school friends… _How ironic_, Tom thought, as he brushed some of her crazy hair from her face, that a _Gryffindor _would reunite him with his magic.

As he had fucked her against the wall, he had felt signs of her magic in the air, to the point where it had would have actually been difficult for any wizard to ignore. No wonder, when he was still 'Tom Smith', he had actually felt her magic, but was too obliviated to actually recognise what it was. He had to give Hermione credit where credit was due, she was obviously a powerful witch to have triggered his subconscious in the way that she had.

Tom knew his horcruxes had been destroyed… _by Hermione and her friends?_ He was somewhat conflicted as he looked down at her sleeping form. So furious at the idea that someone had purposely gone out and destroyed his horcurxes, yet at the same time this slip of a witch had given him another chance. Things were normally so black and white for Tom Riddle, yet this situation was far from it. It also made him wonder what he had managed to achieve for a group of people to actively go out to destroy him… had he been in a position of power? Had he been a leader of sorts? He had no idea what the current political climate was in the wizarding world, but he figured he must have been involved in one way or another.

All he knew was that he needed to do was get his hands on a wand. If he got his hands on Hermione's wand then he could pay his dear 'Grandmother' a visit and have her answer a few questions. Tom's jaw clenched in anger at what had been his ignorance… how much time had passed since he actually died? How much time had he actually been forced to pretend that he was nothing but a _filthy muggle_? Hate coursed through him at the thought of Dumbledore, his 'Grandmother' and the man who had cast the obliviate on him. He wanted to _fucking _kill them!

He turned and looked down at Hermione, and tried to control the angry thoughts that ran through his mind. No, he needed to be controlled and organised about this. This was a situation that demanded meticulous planning for a successful outcome. If he wanted success he had to do this the right way… _good things come to those who wait._ He slowly ran his index finger down Hermione's cheek and she sighed softly in her sleep, burrowing her head deeper into her pillow. Yes, if he was controlled and planned this the right way there was no reason to get rid of his little witch... _Now, where did she keep her wand?_

* * *

Tom silently padded down the hallway towards Hermione's kitchen and living room area. He eyed all of her furniture and knick knacks now with a new sense of purpose. Now that he knew she was a witch, he wondered how much of her possessions had to be hidden or charmed to not appear magical whenever he came over.

Making his way into the living room, Tom held a small hope that she had just left her wand 'lying around'… He had, after all, completely surprised her with his visit last night. He smirked again at the memory of having Hermione up against the wall – moaning his name in pleasure. Suddenly feeling himself harden, he quickly banished the memory and concentrated at the task at hand. _Where was Hermione's wand?_

He was about to walk into the kitchen when that dreaded, ugly cat _thing _that Hermione called a 'pet' ran right under his feet, causing him to almost trip over. Cursing, and wishing every ill-intent possible on the awful creature, his eyes fell on something extremely familiar. A copy of the _Daily Prophet _lay open on the small, round dining table between the kitchen and lounge-room. Tom quickly walked over to it, allowing a small grin to ghost his lips as he took in something so familiar – _that he remembered _ - about the wizarding world, no matter how dubious its story content could be at times.

Lightly running his finger-tips over the paper, his eyes quickly flickered to the picture that accompanied the article… _Well, well, well_, Tom thought as he eyed the picture. There, standing in between those two Gryffindor berks he had seen in other pictures on her book shelf was Hermione giving an annoyed looking scowl at the camera – as if affronted by the mere presence of the photographer. Studying Hermione's image for a few more moments, he then quickly turned his attention to the accompanying article entitled _"Cracks in the Golden Trio?" _which caused Tom to furrow his brows. _Golden Trio? What on earth? _He thought, as he began reading the article…

'_War Heroes'?_ Tom thought, as he read the introductory paragraph. What exactly had been going on the wizarding world…? War Heroes? Does that mean… well they destroyed his horcruxes, didn't they? The beginnings of that familiar sick feeling in Tom's stomach suddenly reappeared as he continued reading through the article. If he was in denial about any of what he had been thinking and realising over the last 24 hours about his little Gryffindor witch, it had been put to rest once he read the following paragraph:

_For the past few months Miss Granger, best known for helping Mr Potter defeat Voldemort and her choice in high-profile men, has been attending Oxford University to – as my sources tell me – "get away from the wizarding world"._

Tom robotically sat down in one of the dining chairs, as though a huge weight was pushing him downwards. It had been confirmed for him in black and white… his suspicions – no, his _gut feeling_… Hermione had essentially betrayed him… she had defeated him. Her and her little friends Harry Potter – who they had dubbed as 'the chosen one', _whatever that meant - _and Ronald Weasley had destroyed his horcruxes, and had been in some kind of war – with him?

Tom felt his mouth grow dry and his chest suddenly felt painfully hollow. What kind of sick joke was this? He felt a newfound rage as he looked away from the article… beaten by teenagers? What on earth had he become to allow _that_ to happen? Gryffindors at that… Did he fight them on his own? Or did he have some sort of army? He wanted to go and curse Hermione. How dare his witch do that to him? The unreasonable hatred burned through him - his magic begging to be released on the girl who was now innocently sleeping down the hall.

Tom closed his eyes and rubbed his temple slowly. The emotional drain that the last 24 hours had been on him was, admittedly, now really starting to take its toll. Tom knew he was slowly losing control and needed to get a hold of himself before he did something stupid and essentially 'blew his cover'. He frowned at that thought. It made him sound like he had become some sort of fugitive.

Deep breathing was slowly becoming his new favourite past-time, he thought rather sardonically. He needed to stop thinking about this in an emotional way. That was not normally how he operated – _so why was he doing it now?_ Pulling his hand through his hair in frustration, he decided to punish himself a bit more and read the rest of the article…

_One can only wonder why Miss Granger would want to "get away" indeed. Could it be because Mr Potter is now marrying Miss Weasley – or is it because of another altogether different reason?_

_My sources can exclusively reveal that Miss Granger is attending muggle classes with none other than Mr Draco Malfoy, heir to the Malfoy fortune and Mr Blaise Zabini, heir to the Zabini estate and Italian wizarding political royalty. Our sources can also reveal that Mr Zabini escorted Miss Granger to the engagement party of Harry Potter and Ginerva Weasley._

_Is there love in the air between the Gryffindor Princess and the Slytherin Prince? We can certainly say that Mr Zabini suits Miss Granger's preference for high profile boyfriends, having previously been romantically linked to Harry Potter and International Quidditch super-star Viktor Krum._

_One can only wonder how Mr Ronald Weasley is coping with this revelation…_

_Of course! _Tom thought suddenly. He hadn't even had time to think about it, considering everything else that had more precedence at the time: Draco _Malfoy_! Did that mean he was Abraxas'… grandson? _Well, the white-blonde hair was a dead giveaway_, Tom guessed, as a frown graced his handsome face. And, as much as he hated that little twerp, he could see resemblances that now reminded him glaringly of Abraxas. Tom never knew a Zabini at Hogwarts, but that was not surprising, since Hermione and the newspaper article had both hinted at the wizard's Italian heritage.

_So __**they**__ are considered Slytherin royalty now? _Tom snorted with disdain and then chuckled as he suddenly thought of something extremely entertaining… _yes, the little Gryffindor Princess was certainly sullying herself with a Slytherin – just not the one they'd all imagined, _Tom smiled darkly. What a sad state of affairs his noble house had become if those two imbeciles were considered to be representatives. _Urgh, especially that Zabini! _Tom now desperately wanted to curse the stupid wizard and the mooning faces he constantly made at his witch. He smirked as he realised that they were so pathetic that Hermione would still rather sleep with someone who she thought was a muggle – rather that that Zabini idiot. He curiously wondered what Hermione had thought when she had seen that article… Would she have been angry? For some reason the gossip columnist's accusations on Hermione's supposed 'love life' did not ignite any feelings of insecurity for Tom. He knew she was his – not that other excuse for a wizard. Not to mention, Tom had made sure that he pretty much managed to occupy the majority of Hermione's spare time - on purpose, of course. Therefore, where would she ever find the time to shag that idiot?

Still contemplating this news, Tom eyed the rest of the paper and was sorely tempted to spend some more time reading the rest of the paper and catching up, but a quick look at his watch and he knew he was pressed for time. Hermione would surely wake up soon and he would still be without a wand – something he definitely did not want. Quickly rising from the table, he left the paper as though it had never been touched and quickly moved towards the kitchen.

Judging by some plates that looked as though they hadn't been washed yet, Tom easily deduced that she had obviously been clearing up her dinner when she was interrupted. He slowly stepped into the kitchen and keenly observed the bench-tops, looking for any sign of what he was so desperately searching for. Walking over to the dishes, he eyed the area before quickly picking through a jar that held a multitude of kitchen accessories with no luck. Audibly groaning when he realised there was no wand to be seen, he quickly stepped over to the other bench-top and opened the cutlery drawers, as well as the over-head cabinets with no luck.

Tempted to slam the cabinet drawers shut in annoyance, he controlled himself, not wanting to wake Hermione, and quickly searched the rest of the kitchen. With no wand in sight he glared accusingly at the kitchen one last time before striding into her lounge-room. Slowly lifting through the paper work and books on her coffee table, he then turned and began lifting and looking under the cushions on her couch.

Suddenly he stood up and let out a breath of laughter. _So this is what he had been reduced to? _Searching under cushions for his girlfriend's wand because he had no wand of his own… _How utterly pathetic! _Salazar! If only he could get his hands on that old coot… all bets were off; he would have cursed that old man to smithereens if he weren't already dead!

His train of thought made him briefly wonder what had happened to his beloved Yew wand, but then quickly figured that with the mounting and rather glaring evidence, he had to face the fact that he may never see his own wand again. Running a hand down his face in frustration, he was about the resume the humiliating task of searching through _cushions _for Hermione's wand until something suddenly caught his eye, giving him a small glimmer of hope.

He quickly walked over to the small, innocuous side-table and looked down with an indistinguishable glint in his eyes. There, sitting almost casually next to Hermione's telephone was her wand. Tom breathed in deeply, face impassive, as he reached down and gently picked up the wand that was lying there so innocently.

Exhilaration leapt through Tom as he handled the wand, which appeared and felt so different to what he remembered of his own. Lightly tapping it on his hand, gratification swooped through him as he felt the warmth of the wand react at his finger-tips. Placing the wand in his left hand, he held it in the air and lazily pointed it towards the dining table.

_Accio Daily Prophet, _he commanded non-verbally and unsurprisingly, the paper quickly flew over to him. Tom smirked with satisfaction as he eyed the paper in his hand. Yes, Hermione's wand would do – _for now_.

Tom rolled the wand arrogantly between his finger tips and walked back through Hermione's flat, noting that it was now almost seven in the morning. Tom realised that he may have to go wake up Hermione, as he wanted to hurry up and go see his 'Grandmother'. He walked back over to her book shelf where he had initially discovered the book that Dumbledore – of all people – had given her…

_Merlin!_ The book reminded him of all the things he still had to think about! Tom had thought that everything would come back to him easily, but he now realised that the intermediate 50 years of his life still left him with a similar feeling of ignorance he had felt as Tom Smith. _Damn that old fool! _Tom thought bitterly for what felt like the thousandth time since he realised what had happened to him.

Casually eyeing some of the books, he re-read some of the titles… _Some of these have __**got **__to have been charmed_, he thought. Surely Hermione did not actually read and enjoy those tacky looking romance novels… He sighed, wanting to go through her books but there wasn't really enough time for that either.

As he headed back down the hallway towards Hermione's room he stopped suddenly and eyed the built-in linen cupboard. Curiosity taking over, he took a step towards it and opened it. Whilst the usual spare-bed sheets sat neatly on the shelves, Tom looked down and grinned smugly. There at the bottom of the wardrobe sat a large leather trunk. _Was this Hermione's Hogwarts trunk? _Tom guessed; amused at how similar it looked to the ones he remembered from his school days. He quickly crouched down, checking that Hermione wasn't going to suddenly appear in the hallway, and checked if the trunk had any wards surrounding it – it didn't. _Tisk, tisk… much too trusting, dear, _Tom thought smugly as he opened the lid of the trunk and looked inside. A genuine grin appeared on his face as he took in her books, parchment, quills and many other assorted knick knacks. He chuckled lightly at the sight of a Gryffindor scarf and beanie that had been neatly placed on the top of her trunk and picked the scarf up, running his fingers over the soft wool before placing it back where he found it.

About to close the trunk and reluctantly save his exploring for another time - when he knew he'd have more time - his attention was suddenly caught by a rather intricately carved rectangular wooden box. Tom picked it up and ran his fingers over the detailed carvings, carefully scrutinising it. Undoing the latch, the case stiffly opened and Tom's eyes took on a greedy sheen as he took in the contents of the box… _Another wand! _Tom picked it up and admired it.

_Why does Hermione have two wands? _He wondered, as he held the new wand up in the air next to Hermione's wand – comparing the two. This new wand was almost black in colour and had a slight bend in it, whilst Hermione's wand was much lighter in colour and a little bit shorter in length. Sitting Hermione's wand down for a moment, he held the much darker wand in his hand and stared down at the Gryffindor scarf still sitting on top of Hermione's books, a smirk gracing his features as an idea came to mind.

'_Multicorfors' _He whispered, whilst concentrating on the scarf. A grin ghosted his lips as the scarf changed from red and gold to green and silver. _Perfect,_ he thought.

He had to admit that this wand felt almost… _sterner _than Hermione's wand, but he couldn't help but marvel at his perfect luck, right now. He didn't have to borrow Hermione's wand now. He doubted that she would even notice this wand missing as she had obviously packed it away for long-term storage.

Regretfully undoing the charm on the scarf, he put the wooden case away and then closed the lid on Hermione's trunk – careful to ensure it looked as though no one had touched it. He then closed the door on the cupboard and walked back into the lounge-room and returned Hermione's wand to where he had found it beside her telephone.

Walking back down the hallway, he stopped when he reached the doorway to the bedroom and looked at Hermione, who was still sleeping. Lightly rolling the wand in his hands he considered how easy it would be to wake the witch up now and force her to give him answers about his past. But no, that wasn't the way to go about things. He needed to be organised about this so he could be the one who held all cards when the time was right. Not to mention… he wasn't ready to give Hermione up yet. No, she could be very useful as a link to the magical world whilst he worked out what his new plan of action would be.

Hermione would have books he could access and Merlin knows what other magical items that would be of use to him. He quietly walked into the room and eyed the little witch greedily as she lay asleep so innocently – so unaware of what was going on around her. Yes, she was special and would be of incredible use to him.

He couldn't help the sudden hollow feeling in his stomach as he considered one glaring issue… Would he have to give Hermione up when she found out who he was? He contemplated the possibility as he stepped over to the bed, shrugging his jeans off again and climbing in beside Hermione. A wave of possessiveness surged through him at the idea of having to give her up – she was his, after all. Wrapping an arm around her and pulling her towards him, he was furious at the thought - like a child having to give up a favoured toy to share with the other children. No, why should he have to give Hermione up?

Hermione stirred in her sleep and shifted so she was now facing him. He eyed her calculatingly as he brushed her hair away from her face. Admiring her fine features, he smirked and brushed his fingers along her jaw-line. No, he decided as he felt her soft little body shift against him, he was not going to allow her to leave him – even if she eventually found out exactly who he was. _His witch, _he thought possessively. He would decide her fate – and nobody else, exactly like she had once played a part in deciding his…

* * *

He was in Russia when he was realised something was _very, very _wrong. Kingsley Shacklebolt felt a wave of nauseousness attack his stomach as he sat in the Russian Minister of Magic's boardroom discussing possible trade and diplomacy options with the Russian Minister and a multitude of both British and Russian diplomats.

"- ah, but is Britain willing to lower current trade tariffs on the dragons between our two states?" the Russian trade diplomat questioned, leaning back in his chair with an arrogant smirk.

"Is Russia willing to undergo British checks to ensure their quarantining practices are to our satisfaction?" One of Kingsley's advisors shot back with a poorly disguised look of disdain.

"Now, now there is no need to bring Quarantine into this… that is indeed a separate folio and not of concern at this point in time." Sergei Klovski, the Russian Minister of Magic waved a nonchalant hand in the air and then turned to Kingsley. "Isn't that right, Minister Shacklebolt?"

Kingsley remained silent – having taken none of the conversation in whatsoever. His mind was currently trying to work out how he could return to England as soon as possible. He was jolted out of his reverie by a nudge from his advisor. Kingsley looked up with a strangely blank expression and then suddenly got to his feet.

"I need to go." He said to no-one in particular.

"But Minister-" His Advisor began to question.

"I need to go – now!" Kingsley eyed him furiously, before turning to the Russian Minister. "Minister, please forgive me, I have remembered something urgent that needs to be taken care of immediately in Britain. My Deputy will join you for the rest of the week. As of this moment I must take immediate leave."

"Minister Shacklebolt… what could possibly be so urgent where you must leave halfway through these talks?" Minister Klovski asked with a furiously offended expression on his face.

Kingsley was already up near the door. "Minister, please believe me when I tell you that this is urgent… considering the value I place on our relationship. But for now, I must request urgent return to Britain."

The Russian Minister immediately stood. "If you must go, I insist on accompanying you to the floo point in my office – it will guarantee you a speedier return to Britain."

Kingsley nodded. He knew that the Russian Minister just wanted to try and get his reason for leaving; probably thinking that he was most likely to reveal it in private.

But how could Kingsley tell anyone that Tom Riddle had just consciously used magic?

* * *

**Well, there you go... Will Kingsley make it back in time? Where will he find Tom? With Hermione or paying his lovely Grandmother a visit?**

**So...**

**Poor Blaise. Taking 'girl' advice from Draco Malfoy... honestly, lol.**

**And *sigh* I guess Hermione enjoyed Tom's little reward, didn't she? Yes, Lord Voldemort always rewards those who do good things for him ;) lol**

**And now Tom has Bellatrix's old wand... I figured that Hermione would have gotten her own wand back after the battle (or gotten a new one) because she absolutely hated Bellatrix's wand. Whether she gave that back or destroyed it - well, I just couldn't picture Hermione destroying it. So she kept it. And her sneaky little boyfriend found it, lol. So it suits him quite well.**

**And Tom's behaviour. Well, he's Tom Riddle. It's in his best interest to keep playing the part - although even for someone like him I think it would still be incredibly draining emotionally. However we all know what immaculate control he has. Obviously he is in two minds about Hermione... and is in complete denial about how attracted he is to her - using her 'usefulness' as somewhat of a cover-up. He also has a lot of think about and learn over the next couple of chapters.**

**Please read and review, it is always appreciated :)**

**I'm off to write the next chapter of 'Right Place, Wrong Time?' ...**


	17. Chapter 17

**Hello lovely readers! Welcome to Ch17. So this one took a while... funnily enough, since uni finished I have been busier than when it was actually on. I think it was because I always had the excuse of studying (aka secretly writing chapters haha) instead of certain social expectations.**

**Thank you to: Shamonti, Megii_of_Mysteri_OusStranger, LeahHeartsTomRiddle, ak269, e_m_o_m_i_n_t, HereToRead84, ilovefireyredheads, Nerys, CheshireCat23, nikif, Lady_Whitlock, Azura_Soul_Reaver, AwesomePersonlolxx, Dream_a_Dream123, Dances_With_Pen, aringle42, mad_bout_horses_nd_cowboys, Bella_In_The_Abyss, ItsUpToYou, sweet_tang_honney, Kelly_Starr, Haschenliebe, Banana_Flavored_Eskimo, MyUniqueWeirdLifeCouldBeABook, nam and LK-HoGwArTs-hEaDgIrL for all leaving lovely reviews :) **

**Also, thank you to those who have alerted or favourited this story!**

******************Disclaimer****:** This story is based on characters created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoat Books, and Warner Bros. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

* * *

XXX

"_You've got a vicious streak / for someone so young / you're like a solar flare / in the rising sun" – New Order (Vicious Streak)_

XXX

Hermione's eyes fluttered open and an audible groan left her lips as her body protested against all sudden movements. Her thoughts went immediately to the night before and a warm blush spread across her cheeks as she remembered exactly_ why_ her body was protesting.

Turning onto her side, she stretched her arms above her head before facing Tom, who was still asleep. Hermione grinned as she studied his handsome face – all cheek bones, full lips and thick black hair. If it weren't for the night before, Hermione would think he looked so innocent.

She lightly ran her fingers through his hair, neatening the current rumpled look he was sporting. Leaning down to place a light kiss on his cheek, she wasn't prepared for him to suddenly move, and pull her lips to meet his. Kissing him unhurriedly, she felt him chuckle as he wrapped his arms around her.

"Good Morning." He murmured against her lips, causing Hermione to grin as she huddled against him.

"Morning." She replied.

"Sleep well?" He asked as he ran his hands up her sides.

"How could I not? All things considered…" She replied and buried her head against his chest.

"Oh? What are these _things _you speak of?" He asked as he wrapped his arms around her tightly, pulling her flush against his warm body.

Hermione bit her bottom lip as she tried to think of what to say. "You _know…_"

"Actually, I don't _know _unless you tell me." He retorted smugly.

Hermione rolled her eyes in exasperation. "Fine… it was a very nice surprise when you showed up last night…" She replied.

"Really?" He asked. Hermione could just _hear _the smirk in his voice as she rested her head on his chest, lightly running her fingers over his shoulders.

"Yes, _really_…" She replied mockingly, looking up at his rather smug looking face. "Did anyone ever tell you that it's incredibly rude to gloat?"

Pulling her up to face him, one of his large, elegant hands cupped her cheek and he smiled. "Why no… I don't believe anyone has told me that. But I think I have every reason to gloat…" He taunted.

"And why is that?" She asked, entertaining his moment of arrogance.

"Because…" He began and slowly crawled over her, hands moving demandingly over her body.

"Because?" She smiled as he leant down and kissed one of her shoulders.

"_Because I've got you."  
_

* * *

As Tom walked down Privet Drive, he wondered – rather mockingly – if his 'Grandmother' would mind him just dropping by. _Surely not_, he thought, smiling darkly. _Grandmothers love that sort of thing – don't they?_

Making his way up the small garden path he mentally recalled what he needed to do. Reaching the front door, he subconsciously felt for the wand he had taken from Hermione. It was still safely tucked in the waist of his jeans, concealed by the jacket he was wearing.

Pressing the door bell, he stepped back from the door, calmly waiting. His face was a blank mask, devoid of any emotion, but Tom Riddle's eyes glinted as he waited for the door to open.

"Tom!" his 'Grandmother' exclaimed as she opened the door. "I wasn't expecting you." She said, as she opened the door and ushered him in. "Come in, come in. What are you doing here?"

Tom watched her shuffle down the hallway towards the kitchen. "Oh, well it's just I hadn't seen you in such a long time _Grandmother_." Tom replied to her back as he followed her into the small kitchen.

She turned and stared at him, with what Tom thought was slight confusion. What he saw there, however, disappeared as quickly as it came and she smiled at him. "Isn't that lovely, then?" She said happily, putting the kettle on. "Tea, dear?"

"No, thank you."

"Oh are you sure?" She turned around, holding a tea bag in her hand.

"Quite."

"Oh I'll make you a cuppa! It always helps on these cooler days!" She insisted, causing Tom to grit his teeth in annoyance. Perhaps he should just kill her and get it over and done with?

"Fine." He answered tightly, watching her closely.

As she made the tea, Tom wondered why this particular woman was chosen to act as some sort of… _watcher?_ He already suspected that she was a squib or a muggle… Did she assist with Ministry specialist operations or something? Did she provide some sort of link to the muggle world for them?

"So how are you dear?" She interrupted his thought process as she poured the tea.

"It's getting close to examinations for University." Tom tried to keep a close eye on the woman's hands, but it was difficult with her body shielding what she was doing. He was convinced that he couldn't have lasted this long without remembering anything with just the obliviate. Especially considering he had been regularly exposed to Hermione's magic.

"How are your studies going?"

"I've been accepted into the summer literature program. It will greatly assist with my work towards my PhD." Tom replied, though had to mentally snicker. _As if _he was going to bother with getting a muggle PhD _now_. What a waste of his precious time! It was even unfortunate that he had had to waste so much of his time there already. The only _positive _outcome of the whole exercise was that he met Hermione.

"Oh that's wonderful! We'll have to have a celebration dinner." She said enthusiastically as she placed a mug in front of him and then sat herself across from him at the small table.

Looking at his Grandmother, Tom almost missed the expectant expression in her eyes as she watched him lift the mug of tea. Looking down at the drink, he brought it to his lips and took a quick whiff of it… _is that… knotgrass? _Tom quickly brought the mug to his lips and allowed a small taste to touch the tip of his tongue… _knotgrass and something else; this tea is laced with some kind of potion! _He furiously realised as he then, pretending the tea was too hot, blew on it and placed it down in front of him. Tom wondered if every time he had been over for the many awful dinners or visits she had laced his food or drinks with something that seemed eerily like a modified forgetfulness or memory related potion. It would definitely have to be some kind of modified Ministry potion, he decided. Tom had to admit that he felt slightly humilated at the thought that a simple potion taught to first years had been used to help keep his real identity under wraps.

"So, if I remember correctly, you had just started seeing a girl the last time that we spoke. Are you still seeing her?" She asked excitedly.

Tom couldn't help the smirk that slid onto his face. "Yes, actually I am."

"Oh what was her name? I don't believe I remember it…" She trailed off, looking as though she was trying to remember.

Tom stared at the woman in front of him… He wondered if she would even know who Hermione was? Slowly tracing his index finger around the mug of tea, he schooled a blank expression on his face before answering. "Her name is Hermione Granger."

Tom watched with smug satisfaction as the woman's expectant smile briefly dropped. "Oh," She replied slowly. "Hermione…_ Granger_ you say?"

_Oh yes! The old bat definitely knows who Hermione is._ "Yes, that's her name. You sound as though you know of her?" Tom enquired, working hard to keep his innocent expression intact.

"I do? Well… no. I just thought…" She trailed off, looking slightly troubled. "How did you meet this Hermione?" She then asked.

"Oh we met at University, of course. She's in one of my classes." Tom replied, feeling gleeful as he watched the array of emotions flit across her face.

"That's nice. Do you think it's serious?"

Tom nodded, with a mock happy expression on his face. "Oh yes! She's taught me _so _much about myself."

The woman seemed to freeze and slowly looked Tom in the eye. "Really? How so?"

"Well, for one," He said as he stood up, "she taught me how to better _understand _myself_…_"

The woman simply stared at him, as if not really knowing what to think. Tom smirked. Whilst he hadn't exactly been sure how he was going to execute his plan against _Granny dearest_, this was going just too perfectly. He reached under his jumper and gracefully pulled the wand out, pointing it straight at her.

"You see, _Granny_, a lot of strange things have been happening to me lately… Things that couldn't simply be explained as – how can I put this? Ah yes… very _muggle_." He said, his eyes going deathly cold at the last word.

His Grandmother was now shaking violently, staring up at him, mouth slightly ajar. Tom rolled his eyes in annoyance. He couldn't have the old woman have a heart attack and die on him now - he needed information!

"Oh don't look so surprised… did you honestly think that I wouldn't work out who I was?"

"V-vo-voldemort!" She squeaked in fear, causing Tom to cock an eyebrow in interest.

"Wh-wha-what's the _matter _Grandmother?" Tom asked, mocking her.

"Please don't kill me," she whispered, "We were just trying to do what was best… trying to help everyone…"

Tom looked at her incredulously. "You thought you were _helping_?" He hissed. "Oh well… don't worry," Tom added in a lighter tone, "I won't kill you… _yet._" He smirked as the woman shrieked in fear. "You've still got some information I need."

"I won't reveal anything to you!" She yelled and Tom watched in amusement as the old bat clambered off of her chair, backing up against the wall.

"Do you honestly think that you can out run me?" He asked incredulously, as he rounded the table, wand drawn, and stood before her.

"D-don't kill me." She said, not answering his question as she tried moving across the wall.

"Now, is that any way to speak to your Grandson? You should at least say _please_. I mean I always thought that _you _taught me my manners…" He smirked before stepping up right in front of her, boxing her into a corner, and pressing the tip of his wand against her temple. "I was quite obviously mistaken…"

Tears began falling uncontrollably and Tom rolled his eyes. He just couldn't _stand _people who cried. _Merlin! Get a hold of yourself woman! _Tom thought in annoyance.

"You will sit back down." Tom ordered, grabbing her upper arm and forcefully pulling her to sit back in her chair at the dining table. She whimpered in fear as Tom stood before her.

'_Incarcerous.' _Tom murmured, and watched as ropes wound their way around the woman, tightly restraining her against the chair. "Now that we've got that sorted," he smiled – almost amiably, "we can get down to business."

"I won't tell you anything!" She repeated, jutting her chin defiantly at him.

Tom furrowed his brow, and looked slightly disgusted. "Are you a muggle?"

The woman looked fearful and pressed her lips together, refusing to answer.

"_Answer me!_" Tom hissed and pressed the tip of the wand into her neck.

She whimpered and squeezed her eyes shut, "A...a squib. I'm a squib." She whispered.

"Well then… shouldn't you know that _I_ don't need _you_ to tell me? All your secrets are available up here," He said as he tapped his wand against her temple, "Or is your knowledge of magic just as pathetic as your ability to use it?" He sneered.

The woman said nothing, merely shaking at his harsh tone. Tom rolled his eyes. This was nowhere near as thrilling as what he was hoping it would be. Using his other hand to grab her chin, he pulled her face up towards his.

"Look at me." He demanded. She trembled and squeezed her eyes shut before reluctantly opening them and staring directly at Tom. He noted how she instinctively tried to avert her eyes once she saw his. "If you look away, you will be punished. And I would really hate to do that, considering I haven't got what I wanted yet."

Her eyes slowly moved back towards his and he grabbed a hold of her chin. _Legilimens_, he cast non-verbally. The effect was instantaneous as Tom felt his magic quickly break down the barriers of her weak mind. _Those without magic were always weak and easy_, he noted smugly as he quickly flitted through her mind, trying to catch exactly what he was looking for.

Tom was first hit with her emotions. Unsurprisingly, her fear and stress at the situation she was in meant she was unable to control any of the thoughts that were currently flitting through her mind. Tom was pleased with this. Fear and stress were perfect as it made it much easier for him to find what he was looking for.

Revelling in her fear, he pushed past her initial wall of emotions, and began picking through her thoughts and for the information that he felt would be of most use to him. He was not gentle in his search and could feel her shoulders shake as he delved deeper into her mind, running through thoughts at a rate that was far from healthy for her mind to handle for a long period of time. It happened so suddenly that he had almost missed it; after all, he was after memories of the old coot dead, not _alive_…

_He heard the front door knocking and soon he was shuffling up the hallway to answer it. Whoever was at the door knocked again, causing her to mutter in annoyance at the intrusion…_

"_Alright, hold your horses! I'm coming!" She grumbled as she opened the door. Standing there smiling was Albus Dumbledore._

"_Hello Arabella, I trust you are well?" He smiled kindly at her._

"_Oh Headmaster Dumbledore! I'm so sorry! If I knew it was you I wouldn't have grumbled at you!" She explained earnestly. Tom sighed in annoyance at her reverent tone… honestly, why did __**everyone **__have to love that old fool?_

"_Not to worry Arabella… we can all be guilty of reacting before knowing the full situation – I can assure you I've found myself in that situation many a time." Dumbledore replied, eyes twinkling at her outburst. "Do you mind if I come in? I do believe we need a more private setting."_

_Arabella, remembering her manners, suddenly stood back and gestured for the old wizard to enter. "Oh yes! Of course, of course, do come in." _

_Dumbledore followed Arabella down the hallway and Tom noted that the house was different to the one she lived in now. She led Dumbledore into a small, cramped kitchen and gestured for him to sit down._

"_Would you care for some tea Headmaster?" She asked, as she shuffled around the kitchen. Tom snickered, yes! Let Dumbledore drink the awful concoctions he was made to drink by the batty old woman!_

"_Tea would be lovely." Dumbledore replied._

_She smiled at him. "Wonderful, I just had the kettle boiling, so you're just in time." She then got what looked like her finest tea cups from a small overhead cupboard. "I assume you're here after what happened to the Potters?" Arabella asked in a conversational tone. "It's just awful what happened – that poor child being left an orphan."_

_Dumbledore suddenly looked solemn. "Yes, this is Order business. And yes, you are correct; it is related to what happened to poor James and Lily. Harry has been orphaned. The only family we can send him to is the Dursleys. Petunia Dursley was Lily Potter's muggle older sister." Dumbledore explained._

"_Of course. After what happened with young Sirius Black…" Arabella shook her head in disbelief. _

"_Yes, such a tragedy." Dumbledore replied. "But despite all of this, Harry still needs protection; he has become the priority. And this is where I will need to ask a great favour from you – perhaps it is too much, but I can only hope you can help."_

"_Anything to help Headmaster! Anything to help the Order." She replied quickly with conviction._

"_Your dedication is a true testament to your character Arabella." Dumbledore replied, the warm twinkle in his eyes returning._

"_It's the least I can do." _

"_Your 'least' is much more than some others 'most'." He smiled at her. "We need someone to keep an eye on Harry. The Order has purchased a house close to the Dursley's. We need someone there who can be a link between the magical and muggle world." He explained._

"_And you want me to be this person?" She guessed quickly._

"_Yes… Although we understand if you don't want to leave your current home." He replied, gesturing around her house._

"_I'll do it!" She said quickly._

_Dumbledore quirked an eyebrow and seemed surprised at her quick affirmation. "Are you sure? We would expect whoever took on this role to associate with Harry on a somewhat regular basis…"_

"_Oh it would be an honour! The boy who lived! The boy who defeated…" She looked around conspiratorially before whispering, "Voldemort." _

_Dumbledore didn't respond, he simply nodded his head._

Tom quickly pulled out of her mind in shock. Wasn't Harry Potter the friend of Hermione? And he had been defeated by him…? When did all this happen? He suddenly refocused on the old woman sitting in front of him. She was shuddering, trying to catch her breath. He gripped her shoulders causing her to flinch.

"When did this happen?" He hissed.

She looked up at him, in confusion, causing Tom to sigh in annoyance.

"When were you sent to watch over Harry Potter?" He demanded, tightening his grip on her shoulder.

"1981ish…" She whispered.

"Did I kill Harry Potter's parents?" Tom then demanded.

"Y-yes…"

"Then what happened after that?"

"Y-y-you were vanquished." She trembled, as though she was the one afraid to be breaking the news to him.

Tom stepped away and began pacing the small kitchen in agitation. _Vanquished? _How on earth? So this wasn't the first time he had managed to come back to life? How was he vanquished by a baby? Obviously he didn't have any fear of possible death when making that fateful visit to the Potters, because he didn't feel the need to drink the potion back in 1981… of course, he also had his Horcruxes still in tact back then.

Tom suddenly turned his attention back to the woman sitting at the table. "Where did I go?" Tom asked.

She turned and looked at him. "I d-don't know… nobody really knew."

Tom ran a hand down his face in exasperation. "How did Harry Potter 'vanquish' _me_?"

"I don't really understand the magic. But he was the only one…" She paused, as it was quite obvious she didn't want to complete her sentence.

"The only one _what?_" Tom snapped.

"… The only one to ever survive the killing curse." She said quickly and winced.

Tom did a double take. Harry Potter had survived _Avada Kedavra_? _His _Avada Kedavra? What in Salazar's name was going on here? It was impossible to survive the killing curse. Tom thought he had come to find answers, yet all he had now was more questions.

"When did I come back?"

"It wasn't _officially _confirmed till 1995… However, some suspected that you were back before then." She replied, averting her eyes away.

If Tom ever needed strict control over his emotions it was right at this very moment. He had to stop himself from gaping at the woman. He had been vanquished and hadn't reappeared, supposedly, for another 14 years? What had happened to his Knights? More importantly, what had he done in those intermittent years? He groaned angrily at all of these new questions, quickly realising that he wasn't actually solving anything.

"When did I…" Tom sighed in disgust, "_die_?"

"… 1998." She trembled.

So he'd only been back a couple of years after being vanquished the first time around? Was this all because of that war he knew Hermione had been in?

"How did I die?" Tom asked quietly; very clear menace in his tone.

His 'Grandmother' looked away in fear. Tom quickly rushed forward and gripped her shoulders furiously.

"You _will _tell me! Or would you like me to enter your mind again, hmm? Because I assure you, I will! And it will be much more uncomfortable this time around! In fact I'm sure you'd escape with it barely in tact." He hissed furiously.

She looked up at him, tears in her eyes, and seemed to suddenly lose control over her breathing. Taking deep gasps in, she audibly wept as his wand pierced her throat.

"Do I have to repeat myself?" He asked in a quietly dangerous tone.

"Okay! Okay… Ha-harry Potter killed you, in the great battle of Hogwarts!" She managed to gasp out before breaking down into loud sobs again.

Tom simply stared at the woman in front of him. Harry Potter had managed to destroy him twice? _Harry Potter… _the best friend of his Hermione? Why had this Potter been such an integral part of his later life? He vaguely remembered a Potter who had been finishing his education when Tom had just been beginning his at Hogwarts and he knew they were a pureblood family… But other than that, Tom couldn't recall any dealings with the Potter family.

What were the odds then that he was now with Harry Potter's best friend? Tom almost wanted to just sit down and laugh hysterically. What had his life become where he had lost _twice _to a mere boy? His throat suddenly felt thick and shame coursed through him, tingling uncomfortably all over his body. He wanted to know how this could have happened. How was he essentially duped by a group of teenagers?

Loud sobs interrupted his thoughts and Tom sighed. He had almost forgotten about the annoying old bat. Turning his attention to her he rolled his eyes at how pathetic she was. _Honestly! _Did they all think that he would never work out where he came from?

A shudder went through him as he realised that wasn't actually the case… in fact, if he never came into contact with Hermione he might have continued living this pathetic life… having his memory altered and secretly fed potions to impede him further. Sitting himself down he gripped the table tightly, trying to reign himself in before he destroyed the entire pathetic house. Taking a deep breath, he looked up at the woman sitting across from him and sneered.

"Well, what should I do with you now?" He said, but, of course, wasn't really asking for her opinion.

She turned to him with a pathetic pleading expression on her face. "P-please don't kill me." She begged.

Tom quirked an eyebrow and then looked away. He really wanted nothing more than to kill the stupid woman, but unfortunately he had no idea what the Ministry was doing in regards to surveillance over him. _Perhaps… _he thought, looking at her. _Perhaps she knew what the Ministry was doing? _

Tom stood and walked back over to her. Whilst she couldn't move because of her bindings, she automatically tried to flinch away from him as he squatted down in front of her.

"You will tell me how the Ministry is watching me." He ordered quietly, merely inches from her face.

The woman stared back at him, and took a deep breath, seemingly trying to calm herself down. "Even if I told you, it doesn't matter because they'll come for you. You won't hurt anyone else."

A furious rush of anger swept through Tom as he looked at her. Grabbing her harshly by the chin, which caused her to cry out in pain, he sneered. "Wrong answer. Now let's start this again before I kill you for your impudence."

She stared back at him, "They'll come for you. They will know that you've used magic." She replied shortly.

"What do you mean by that?" He hissed as he tightened his grip on her jaw.

She remained silent and Tom growled in frustration at her impudence. "Do you think that I make idle threats?" he asked and leaned closer to her. "Do you think your precious Ministry will be here to save you?" He sneered, dangerously close to her.

If he wasn't so close, he may not have noticed her eyes slightly avert over his shoulder before flickering back to him. He knew something was wrong when he felt something in the air shift...

"_STUPEFY!" _bellowed a deep voice from behind him.

Tom turned around just in time to set a red bolt of light shooting straight for him. Survival mode kicking in, he dropped flat to the ground from his crouching position as the stunning spell just missed him – travelling past a mere foot above his head.

_Protego!_ He cast non-verbally and a shield instantly surrounded Tom as he rolled underneath the table.

"Come out Riddle! We can do this the easy way and no one will get hurt." The same deep voice spoke as Tom watched a swirl of purple robes enter the room.

He knew he only had seconds to react as he guessed that the man would probably try to make sure Figg was safe first before sending anymore spells towards him. Tom quickly twisted his body around and kicked out the legs of the chair Figg was sitting on, sending the chair stumbling backwards with her still restrained and screaming.

A sickening crack sounded as the back of her head hit the ground and predictably, the man in the room rushed towards Figg to try and help her. Tom quickly pushed himself out from under the table and jumped up so he was now facing the two from the other side.

Within seconds, Tom had jumped back from the table, upped his shield strength and pointed his wand at the table. _"REDUCTO!" _He bellowed, and watched in satisfaction as the blue light hurtled towards the table and blasted it into smithereens.

The man barely had a chance to raise a shield as angry shards of the timber table shot towards the two of them, managing to barely protect them from the brunt of it, as some shards lodged into the two of them, adding to the bloody mess that was already present due to the woman's head injury.

Tom stood straight, wand drawn and pointed at the two of them, watching calculatingly as the smoke cleared. _Expelliarmus! _He cast non-verbally at the dark man, who he had already recognised as the man from the Ministry when he woke up that very first time. The man, in return, put up a shield and ducked as the scarlet light careered towards him.

The man then jumped up with an agility that surprised Tom, considering the man's rather burly size. He stood as straight as Tom, wand pointed directly back at him.

"Drop the wand Riddle, it's over now." He commanded.

Tom barked out an incredulous laugh. "Yes, because I'm really just going to hand my wand over to _you_." He replied sarcastically.

Before the man could reply, a muffled groan came from the ground next to the dark skinned man. "_Minister…" _Figg whispered in pain, _"Please help me!"_ She sobbed.

Tom quirked an eyebrow in interest, "Minister?" He smirked. "Well isn't this a surprise… My, my I am just so _honoured _to make your acquaintance." He mocked.

The Minister's eyes flickered quickly to Figg, but it was only momentary. He knew that all it took would be one slip up by him and Tom would take full advantage of the situation.

"So…" Tom began, obviously enjoying himself, "What makes me _so interesting_ where the Minister has taken a personal interest in little ol' me?"

"_He knows Minister, he knows…" _Figg choked out, obviously struggling to stay conscious.

Locked in a stale-mate, both men stared at one-another, each daring the other to speak first. Finally, Tom watched the man swallow and exhale slowly.

"What do you know?" The Minister demanded.

Tom smirked. "Did you really think I would never work it out?" He asked.

"No… it's absolutely impossible – all the protections in place…" The Minister muttered to himself. "How did this happen?" he turned his attention back to Tom.

"Well that's my little secret, isn't it?" Tom replied somewhat playfully.

"_Minister… Hermione… Hermione Granger." _Figg murmured and then moaned in agony.

"Shut up! Shut that bitch up!" Tom hissed furiously.

The Minister stared at Tom as realisation and horror dawned on his face. "_Oxford…_ What have you done to her?"

Tom gave the Minister a hard stare. "Nothing." He replied before giving him a calculating look. "And I won't do anything to her if you leave me alone."

The Minister looked at him beseechingly. "What is your relationship with Hermione Granger?" He demanded.

Tom smirked smugly at the Minister. "Hermione and I have become… very _intimately _acquainted. In fact, if it wasn't for _my _darling Hermione, well, I'm sure you would still have me parading around as a filthy muggle." He sneered.

"If you hurt her, you will be sorry." He growled.

Tom merely stared at him. "Oh yes? And who, pray-tell, will make me sorry? You and what army?" Of course Tom had noticed that no Aurors had accompanied him here. He suddenly laughed in realisation. "Oh, don't tell me that you and those two old coots are the only ones aware of the big, bad secret?"

The Minister flinched in reaction and Tom chuckled darkly. "It's true isn't it?" he smirked. He didn't need a verbal confirmation, he knew just by looking into his eyes that it was true – the reaction alone was enough.

Tom stopped laughing and stared at the man in front of him. He realised that this gave him a golden opportunity. _Why had they not advised anyone else of this? _Or more to the point, why was it that they didn't want anyone to know?

"Well I think this situation suits me perfectly…" Tom said casually. "If you don't let me go, I'll kill that worthless Squib," He began, nodding to the woman breathing shallowly on the ground, "And you'll have a senseless death on your hands."

The Minister stared at Tom incredulously. "If you think you're going to get away with this Riddle, you've got another thing coming."

Tom merely smirked in response. "Oh really? and how do you think the public will react once they hear that you've been allowing the evil _Lord Voldemort _walk the streets… allowed him to become involved with the precious Hermione Granger… killed the harmless Squib woman who helped watch over _Harry Potter _as a child?" He spat. "I also assume the money – supposedly my _inheritance_ from my dead 'muggle parents' – is being paid for by the Ministry… I'm sure you're tax payers will be simply delighted to hear that."

"You will not get away with this! And you will not go near Hermione Granger again." The Minister ordered.

Tom's eyes immediately hardened to icy slits at the Minister's command. "_Au contraire _Minister, you see, I've grown quite attached to Hermione. I won't be letting her go anytime soon." He replied.

"Keeping Hermione Granger is not an option. Do you really think she would want _you _when she finds out who you really are?"

"_If _she finds out." Tom countered. "Hermione won't need to know anything if you and Dumbledork leave me be."

"This is madness! You can't honestly believe that we'll let you go without monitoring your magic."

"Is it really madness?" Tom asked, whilst raising his elegant dark eyebrows in question. "You see, I personally believe the situation I've been put in is _madness_…" He tried to control his breathing. "But when have my emotions even mattered in any of this!" He shouted furiously.

Kingsley only barely flinched. "You don't get a choice! Don't you understand?"

"It doesn't matter anyway. You don't have a choice. _I_ hold all the cards." Tom sneered. He wondered why the Minister hadn't tried to kill him yet. In fact, he wondered why they didn't kill him when he awoke the first time. "So unless you try to kill me-" Tom began, itching to duel and end the fool standing in front of him.

"Don't mock me, _Riddle_." The Minister sneered, "I don't know what kind of sick magic you used to come back again, but trust me… if I had my way, you'd be dead."

Tom kept his face blank, but his mind was buzzing in curiosity. Well, this was certainly news to him. They thought he couldn't die? Obviously they weren't as across the magic he used as he was… So Dumbledore didn't know everything! Oh well, he wasn't going to correct him – this could work to his advantage. He could use this and then go on his merry way, searching for another way of finding proper immortality. He sneered at the thought of using Horcruxes again. That had obviously been a vulnerable mistake on his behalf.

"I'm sure you would." Tom smirked smugly. "But unfortunately for you, things aren't working out the way you had initially hoped. No matter. You will agree to my terms and then forget I ever existed – just like you tried to do with me." Tom replied coolly.

"No." The Minister replied.

Tom was slowly getting bored of this conversation. The man was purely annoying with his high level of impudence. He rolled his eyes. "If you don't, you think I won't go public? It will hurt you more than it will hurt me."

The Minister's eyes widened slightly. "Don't be ridiculous! You wouldn't dare go public – it's too much of a risk for you!"

Tom looked thoughtful. "Is it? Are you really willing to take that risk? I can assure you that it would harm you more in the long term, compared to me… This one mistake could kick you out of office, and wouldn't that be a pity? Oh yes, you would surely lose your position. There would even be an inquiry, I'm sure. Do you think your supporters would help you if they found this out? Oh, but I'm _sure _I will still have those willing to support _me_. Poor Tom Riddle, who had no idea of what his future self had committed…" He trailed off and cocked an eyebrow at the Minister.

"Everybody who is important knows that by this age you killed a muggleborn Hogwarts student, your father and grandparents, Riddle. Don't play us all for fools." He snapped.

Tom's gaze hardened. "Still… is it really worth _your _career? Or the sanity of the wizarding world…?" He countered.

Suddenly a pained sob broke the stalemate between the two. Figg was still holding on – barely. Tom huffed in annoyance. "Hurry up and make a decision _Minister_. I assure you that I won't have any hesitation in killing the squib. And if you try to take me down I'll take you down with me."

The Minister quickly eyed the woman lying beside his feet, who would surely die without any medical attention soon, and turned his attention back to Tom. Tom smirked, he was coming around, he could just tell.

"How can I guarantee Hermione Granger's safety?"

Tom's smirk became triumphant. "I have no interest in hurting Hermione Granger. She did, after all, assist me quite significantly. However, if you come near me again I may have to re-think that. And wouldn't that be a pity? However, if you leave me be, you remain as Minister, the Squib gets to trot out the rest of her years and Hermione remains happy… and alive."

The man's shoulders sagged in defeat.

"I guess I'm not surprised at the Government's complete stupidity – however thankful I am though." Tom commented smugly.

"If I even hear of-" The Minister began to threaten.

"No! You don't threaten _me_." Tom sneered. "You should be thankful that I am sparing your precious Granger – don't ruin it up by threatening me."

"If you hurt her, I will come after you – position or not."

"Like I said, you have nothing to worry about if you keep your nose out of my magic and my business." Tom sniffed, before turning to look at the Squib. "You better hurry up and help the Squib – she looks like she's lost a lot of blood… wouldn't want her to die now, would we?" He snickered.

The Minister looked as though he wanted to aid the woman, but didn't want to let down his guard with Tom. Tom rolled his eyes at the spectacle.

"Here," he said, "I'll make this easy for you." And with that, Tom Marvolo Riddle apparated with a frightening crack, leaving the Minister standing there gobsmacked.

* * *

**Ahhhh! *runs and hides behind wand-toting Tom* So what did you think? I'm not sure if I'm 100% with this chapter. But after re-writing it for the third time, I thought "third time's a charm" lol. Plus, what happened here is essential to the rest of the story - so it HAD to happen this way...**

**So, Kingsley is in the shit now! What do you think will happen? Also this may seem like the "ultimate" screw up for the Ministry. Just like the time Barty Crouch Jr was sent to live with his Dad instead of being in Azkaban, hmm? Or denying the re-emergence of Voldemort again and again... or I'm sure we could come up with a million real world examples... Government's royally screw up all the time. They just don't like to tell us about it very often ;) So don't be very surprised when they do!**

**Also, do you think Tom would actually hurt Hermione now... or was it all talk? Lol.**

**Please read and review XD  
**

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	18. Chapter 18

**Hello and welcome to Ch18! **

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**********************Disclaimer****:** This story is based on characters created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoat Books, and Warner Bros. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

* * *

_XXX_

_Come closer my darling / Don't tease me, not tonight / I'm not in the mood / For fucking around / You see I know everything / Don't try deceiving / It's all over your face - Tex Perkins (I Know Y'Know I Know)_

_XXX  
_

"Have you told him that you love him yet?"

"Ginny, I don't love him!" Hermione flushed pink with indignation and embarrassment.

The two witches were currently lying out in the long grass at the Burrow, a bottle of muggle wine between them and a heating charm around them. Hermione was visiting for the monthly Weasley family dinner, and the girls had escaped the chaos of the household to have some quiet time.

Ginny sat up and topped up her wine glass. "So let me get this straight. You sleep with him, spend almost all of your time with him and let him do things that no other guy would even _think _about doing to Hermione Granger… and you say you _don't _love him?" Taking a large gulp of the wine Ginny then dropped back down on the grass and sighed. "Hermione, you are clueless when it comes to men!"

Hermione huffed and wrapped her cardigan tightly around her body. "Don't be _ridiculous _Ginny! It's far too soon to be in love. I mean, maybe after a year or so… but not _now_."

Ginny scoffed, "You can't put a number or limit on the time it takes to fall in love. There is no approved 'time' Hermione." She laughed. "And I think you're just too afraid that you'll say it too soon and he won't say it back."

Hermione sighed and remained silent. The truth of the matter was that she honestly _didn't know_ whether she was in love with Tom or not. In Hermione's opinion, love was always something that was to be built over time… she had never been one to run head-first into her feelings. She didn't want to even consider whether Tom was in love with her or not. Even thinking about Tom's feelings made her heart twist to uncomfortable levels. The relationship they shared seemed to be nothing like what she observed between Harry and Ginny.

"Hermione Granger, you will not over-analyse this!" Ginny abruptly ended Hermione's internal monologue.

"I wasn't over-analysing anything!" Hermione replied defensively.

Ginny laughed and rolled her eyes. "You are. By the way, are you ever going to tell him that you're a witch?"

Hermione sighed. "I just don't know. It's crazy, isn't it? I never thought I'd ever have to worry about something like that..."

"Yeah… I've actually wondered how you'd approach it." Ginny mused.

"I don't know. I still think it might be too soon; even though I hate lying to him." Hermione sighed.

Ginny turned to Hermione. "So, what, are you going to offer some kind of package deal after a certain amount of time?" She laughed.

Hermione furrowed her brows in confusion. "What in Godric's name are you going on about?"

"Er, how about… _I love you and by the way, guess what? I'm a witch!_" Ginny replied with almost a perfect imitation of Hermione's voice.

Hermione scowled. "Oh shut it, Ginny."

Ginny laughed loudly at Hermione, who simply continued to scowl whilst concentrating on the night sky. "Oh Hermione, don't be offended! I honestly don't envy your position at all… I think you'll work it out in your own time."

Hermione rolled her eyes at Ginny. "I don't think any witch would envy my position." She commented sarcastically, reaching for her wine glass.

* * *

Kingsley strode back into his office. He had taken Mrs Figg to a muggle hospital and told them he was a concerned neighbour who hadn't seen her for a day and suspected she had had a bad fall in her home. The hospital was so busy they didn't even bat an eyelid at his story.

Kingsley was not a selfish man, but he could breathe a sigh of relief knowing none of her injuries were curse-related. If he took her to St Mungo's, that would be when the uncomfortable questions would begin. Questions were the last thing that the Minister wanted at the moment.

No-one needed to know about Tom Riddle. But how was he to deal with this now? Kingsley slumped into his chair and rested his temple on his hands, uncharacteristically slouching at his desk. There was no way he would allow Tom Riddle to continue walking around, memories intact, risking the life of Hermione Granger. However Riddle had stated that he wouldn't hurt Hermione as long as he was left alone. For some strange reason, Kingsley believed him. He suspected that Riddle saw Hermione as useful at the moment and would therefore see it in his best interest to keep her safe. He also suspected that Riddle purposely wanted to keep a low profile for the time being…

What was he supposed to do though? He knew his best tactic wasn't to barge in throwing curses and carting him off to Azkaban… No, he was pretty sure that Riddle would be expecting Kingsley to come after him. He needed to be stealth about this…

He had to find a way to end him. Kingsley had to find a way around the magic that allowed Riddle to return for a _third _time. _Every _bit of magic had a counter spell or curse. He knew Dumbledore had said that the killing curse wouldn't work, but Kingsley refused to believe that there wasn't _some _form of magic out there that could destroy him. If they found a way of destroying Riddle's horcruxes, they would find a way to do this.

He glanced up at the portrait and sighed because Dumbledore wasn't there. To be honest, Kingsley hadn't seen Dumbledore for a couple of weeks now. In between his own travelling and the fact that Dumbledore spent most of his time at Hogwarts, they probably hadn't spoken as much as what they should have.

He got up and walked towards his hallway. He sighed in relief when the portrait he was looking for was actually occupied.

"Professor Everard." Kingsley greeted, allowing a small smile as he stared at the ancient wizard.

"Ah! Minister Shacklebolt! How are you?" Everard greeted.

"I'm fine, thank you." Kingsley lied. "I was hoping I could ask a favour of you?"

"Of course. What can I help you with?"

"I need you to contact Professor Dumbledore at Hogwarts if possible. It's rather urgent." Kinsgley requested.

"Certainly." Professor Everard replied happily and disappeared from the gilded frame.

_Now, to play the waiting game, _Kingsley thought.

* * *

Draco flooed into Malfoy Manor for Sunday lunch with his Mother. Ignoring the house elf who took his coat, he quickly walked towards the lunch room, expecting to find his Mother already waiting for him. When she wasn't in her usual place at the table Draco frowned.

"Jub Jub!" Draco called.

There was a crack, and the same elf who took Draco's coat now stood before him. "Yes Master Draco, what cans Jub Jub do?" The little elf squeaked.

"Where's Mother?" Draco asked.

"Mistress must still be in Master's study. She is doing renovations Master!" Jub Jub replied.

"Renovations? In Father's study?" Draco asked, rather angrily.

Jub Jub cowered slightly. "Jub Jub cannot tells Mistress! Cannot tells Mistress!"

Draco turned and looked at the Elf, realising he had inadvertently made Jub Jub feel as though he had done the wrong thing. Hermione's disapproving glare suddenly flashed through his mind. Before the Elf could begin self-harming, Draco quickly sighed and spoke. "It's okay Jub Jub, I know what Mother is like." _I can't believe I am calming down a ruddy house elf!_

The Elf stopped whimpering and looked up at Draco with thinly veiled surprise. "Master Draco isn't upset with Jub Jub?"

Draco had to refrain from rolling his eyes. "No, Jub Jub. I'm not upset. Leave me; I will be in the study with Mother." Draco dismissed the Elf.

The Elf bowed and with a quick _'crack!'_ disapperated from the room. Draco made his way to the study, deciding to simply walk there, instead of apparating like he normally would. As he approached the room he could hear more than one voice coming from the room. _What in Salazar's name was going on? _He wondered in annoyance.

As he opened the heavy oak door he heard something which he hadn't heard in a long time, his Mother's laughter. Furrowing his brows in confusion he entered the room to see his Mother laughing with two women as several Elves frantically moved around the room.

"Mother…?" He looked around the room in confusion; it was already being emptied of most of his father's possessions.

"Draco, darling!" Narcissa spun around and walked over to greet him. "Sorry dear, I must have lost track of time." She apologised as she pulled him into a quick embrace.

"What's going on?" Draco asked in confusion, as he stepped away from her and walked around the room, not liking what he saw at all.

"I'm renovating remember? I thought I told you?" Narcissa's smile faltered a bit.

"Yes, but Father's study?" Draco asked looking at her.

"Finally! Some sense in here!" Said a scandalised voice form a portrait. "Don't let her ruin this room, boy!" Abraxas blustered from his place on the wall. "It has been like this since I was a boy. You can't change it _now_!"

"All the more reason _to _change it." Narcissa sniffed. "It's time to renovate and stop living in the past."

"_Noble house of Black_, indeed." Abraxas grumbled, casting a filthy glare at Narcissa. "You can't move my portrait _anyway_." He sneered.

"I'm sure Daphne will find a way, if I so wish it to happen." Narcissa huffed, before turning back to Draco. "Draco darling, of course you remember Daphne Greengrass? She's started her own interior design business."

Draco turned and nodded to his old classmate. Daphne smiled politely and looked like she was about to say something, but Draco was already leading his Mother out into the hallway. He couldn't believe she was doing this!

"Draco!" Narcissa hissed when they were in the hallway. "What is the meaning of this? You are being incredibly rude in front of Daphne."

"I don't care Mother! What is going on? You can't change Father's study! When he comes ba-"

"Your Father isn't coming back Draco! The sooner we realise this and move on, the better!" Narcissa cried.

Draco was pacing back and forth across the hall, and was about to disagree ardently. He stopped and looked at his Mother, ready to give her a piece of his mind. However, as he looked at her, he noticed that for the first time since his Father went to Azkaban, his Mother actually looked somewhat happy, or at least more at peace with her situation.

He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Will it remain a study?"

"Of course." Narcissa smiled. "I was thinking you could help. It will be yours one day, you know."

Draco nodded. He still didn't like the idea of changing anything in the house, but it wasn't fair of him to make his Mother sit in this house with nothing better to do.

"Of course, Mother." Draco gave her a small smile. "Have you been cooperating with the Ministry with regards to Rabastan?" He changed topic.

His Mother looked very uncomfortable all of a sudden. "That's neither really here nor there. They're apparently having trouble processing paper work with Gringotts – you know how ridiculous the Goblins can be. And they aren't sending me down there by myself… anyway; I don't want to talk about this with Daphne here. Save it for another time, dear."

Draco almost rolled his eyes. "Of course Mother."

Narcissa smiled and squeezed his hand before walking back into the room. Draco exhaled a loud breath and followed her in.

Daphne looked up from some fabric samples and smiled at the two of them. "I was wondering if you'd like to look at these colour schemes, I think that they would really lift the mood."

Draco heard Abraxas snort disparagingly about 'moods' and _women_, whilst Narcissa walked up to where Daphne was standing at the desk and quickly looked through the fabrics.

"These are just lovely. It's like nothing I've ever seen before. Where did you source these?" Narcissa asked as she ran her fingers lightly over the fabrics.

Daphne flushed slightly. "I found them… well my sister and I did, whilst in Italy on holiday. They're Muggle."

"They're absolutely devine." Narcissa breathed. "Don't you think so Draco?" She asked excitedly, turning to face him.

Draco looked up absentmindedly from the corner he had since taken up after re-entering the room. "Oh-"

"Merlin no! There will be no Muggle filth in Malfoy Manor!" Abraxas sneered before Draco could respond. "Tell them boy! Tell them there will be nothing of the sort!"

Draco looked blankly from the portrait and back to his Mother. "Whatever you like most Mother."

Narcissa grinned and turned back to Daphne, whilst Abraxas huffed from his place on the wall.

* * *

Draco put down his knife and fork, having finished his lunch and smiled at both his Mother and Daphne.

"I'll have to be off. I have to study for an upcoming test." Draco announced, removing the napkin form his lap. He would frankly be glad to leave this talk of redecoration of renovation. It was so boring!

"Oh. How is university Draco?" Daphne pipped up, looking genuinely interested.

"It's been a very interesting experience, to say the least." Draco replied.

"How are things with Miss Granger, dear?" Narcissa asked.

"Quite alright." Draco responded. "She's certainly interesting, to say the least." He added, as he stood up from the table and made preparations to leave.

"We saw that article in the Daily Prophet." Narcissa commented and Daphne nodded slightly.

"That? It's all rubbish. Well, I'm sure Blaise wishes it wasn't rubbish." He snickered.

"Oh. So Blaise does like Hermione?" Daphne asked, and Draco noticed she looked slightly crestfallen.

Draco shrugged his shoulders, trying to down play his friends pathetic _'crush'_. "I honestly think it's just a phase. Hermione has a boyfriend anyway."

"Ronald Weasley?" Daphne asked with barely disguised interest. Draco suddenly wondered why Hermione Granger seemed to be such an interesting source of gossip for witches everywhere.

"Hah. No. A muggle named Tom." Draco replied. "He goes to uni with us." Draco frowned at having to speak about that arrogant prat. He really couldn't stand him.

"Oh. Well tell Blaise I said hello. We should all catch up sometime… you know, a Slytherin class reunion." Daphne said, looking hopeful.

"Sure." Draco replied with a fake smile, wanting to do anything but catch up with the idiots he went to school with. "Jub Jub!" Draco called and the Elf suddenly appeared. "I'm leaving. I'll need my coat."

"Yes Master Draco! Right away Master Draco!" Jub Jub squeaked and quickly disappeared again before reappearing with his jacket.

Draco took the coat and nodded at the Elf who quickly bowed and left again. Putting his coat on, he quickly buttoned it up and bade Daphne goodbye whilst his Mother followed him into the hallway.

"Draco, before you go, I want you to take this." Narcissa said and a trunk suddenly appeared in front of him. "It's some things from your Father's study that I found and thought you might be interested in."

Draco looked down at the trunk with curiosity. "What's in there?" He asked.

"Oh who knows really? It was things – well, memories and so on that he had collected over the years. I thought you might want it. I didn't really go through it myself." Narcissa looked at him.

"Thank you Mother." Draco replied and kissed her on the cheek.

Narcissa smiled. "I'll be in touch with regards to the study designs."

Draco grimaced. He really wished he hadn't decided to help with the room. He had no interest in helping with renovations at all! As long as they didn't turn the Manor into an abomination he didn't really care what they did with it…

* * *

Dumbledore appeared in his Ministry portrait to find Kinsgley Shacklebolt slumped over his desk with an almost full glass of firewhiskey next to him.

"Kingsley, Professor Everard said you needed to speak to me." He said, causing Kinsgley to look up blearily eyed from his chair.

"He knows Professor."

"Who knows Kingsley?" Dumbledore asked in confusion.

"Tom Riddle. Tom Riddle knows."

* * *

Hermione was currently sitting in the library studying for her upcoming exams. She couldn't believe how quickly the semester had gone. Between meeting Tom and experiencing muggle life again, time had travelled surprisingly quickly.

"Hey." She heard a familiar voice greet quietly from behind her.

Hermione looked up from her books and found Blaise settling himself into a seat beside her. "Hey." She smiled, but still felt a tiny bit awkward from his recent (and _strange_, in her opinion) flirtatious behaviour.

"I thought I'd find you here." He commented as he pulled some books from a leather messenger bag. "How's the studying going?"

"Oh pretty good. I think I'm on top of everything." She replied and looked back down at her work again.

They remained silent for a while, both concentrating on their respective books. Hermione felt somewhat awkward, almost as though she needed to begin speaking to fill the growing void of silence.

However, Blaise must have felt it too, as he was the one to eventually break the silence.

"Hermione…" Blaise began, and Hermione looked up from her books, raising her eyebrows in interest.

"About the other night…" He said awkwardly.

"Don't worry about it." Hermione quickly interrupted him.

"No, no. I need to say this. I like you Hermione." He looked at her seriously. "I know, I know. You're with Tom. _But_… but what are you going to do? Live in the muggle world forever?"

"Blaise…" Hermione began sadly. "You can't like me. How can you go from not giving me a single glance at school to suddenly liking me?" She asked incredulously.

"I didn't give many people a second glance at Howarts." He said lightly, with a smirk.

"You didn't even like my _'kind'_. I find it rather odd that you suddenly do." Hermione added in a quiet voice.

"You have to understand that I grew up in a very narrow minded society. My family were always socialising with people like the Malfoys. I'm not trying to justify myself… but from a very young age I was told that I was better than muggle borns… well better than most people actually."

Hermione wanted to roll her eyes at his statement. But remained silent, for at least he was being honest with her – that much, she could appreciate.

"I was told that it was wrong to allow muggle borns to practice magic… that they were polluting our society and culture." He looked down and did seem genuinely ashamed.

"What changed your mind?" Hermione asked, rather curiously.

"The war." He began and swallowed thickly. "Seeing so many die, senselessly – no matter what their background was. Seeing people lose family and friends for no other reason than that they felt what was happening was wrong and were willing to stand up for it." He ran a hand through his hair and Hermione looked at him sadly.

"Are you okay?" She asked.

He looked up her incredulously. "You're asking _me _that? You know… I had never stuck up for anyone or anything in my life? I always felt I was above it… but now I know that I was just weak."

Hermione studied him. "Maybe you were just a product of your upbringing? But at least you know now that you were wrong…" She replied honestly.

He stared at her and allowed a slight smirk to grace his handsome face. "I appreciate the honesty."

Hermione shrugged her shoulders. "Anytime. Seems like it's been quite lacking throughout most of your life." She smiled.

"I deserved that. One of the things I like about you." He flashed a smile.

Hermione exhaled awkwardly. "Blaise…"

"It's okay Hermione. I know. Can't blame a guy for trying, can you?"

"I don't know… I've never been in this kind of situation before." She replied honestly.

"Are you serious about him?"

Hermione looked down and her work and flushed slightly. "It's funny. I have had the exact same conversation with Ginny."

Blaise crinkled his nose. "I hope I'm not going to be grouped in with your girlfriends then!"

Hermione laughed. "No! It's just strange that it should come up again in such a short space of time. I guess we've been together for a while now." She mused. "Well long enough for people to start asking about us. You know he hasn't even met my parents yet?"

Blaise raised his eyebrows in surprise. "Do you intend for them to meet him?"

"Yeah… I mean, that's what you normally do, don't you?"

Blaise smirked. "I wouldn't know. In our society, you grow up with the people you normally grow up with the people that you end up marrying… You're parents try to match you up from a young age."

"That's awful! Don't you feel restricted by it?" Hermione asked.

Blaise shrugged his shoulders. "We don't really know any better do we?"

"So, do you have anyone intended for you?" She suddenly asked.

Blaise rubbed the back of his neck and looked up at the ceiling. "Well, my Mother was incredibly excited when she found out that I took Daphne Greengrass to a Slug Club party."

"Ah yes, I remember that. You're not happy about that?"

"No! I mean, she's a nice girl… but not my type." Blaise replied quickly.

Without even thinking, Hermione suddenly blurted out in a joking tone. "Oh and who is your type exactly?" He looked at her and she flushed, feeling extremely embarrassed. _Smooth Hermione! After he just told you he liked you!_

Blaise looked at her and smirked. "Really, Hermione?"

Hermione looked down in mortification. "S-sorry. Like I said… not very good at this sort of thing…"

Blaise chuckled. "It's okay. So when are you going to tell him you're a witch?"

"Merlin! Did you and Ginny convene some sort of meeting to discuss this?" Hermione huffed and hit her head on the table in exasperation.

Blaise held up both of his hands in mock surrender whilst laughing. "Sorry, didn't realise that it was such a touchy subject."

"It's not." Hermione huffed. "I just don't know why I can't wait, that's all." She crossed her arms.

"I can't believe I'm giving you helpful advice on this - it's not very Slytherin of me - but don't you think that waiting longer will only be worse for you both in the long run?"

"But we've only been together for a few months! It's not like we're planning on getting married! I mean, what if we break up? Then there's a muggle walking around knowing about the magical world who essentially doesn't need to know." Hermione lectured.

"I suppose you have a point… But what are you going to do in the mean time?"

"I don't know. Live in the Muggle world?" Hermione replied nonchalantly.

Blaise narrowed his eyes. "And how long will that be? I know we're all here for university but that won't be forever. I know you wanted a break… but Hermione, the magical world is missing out by not having _you _in it!"

"And what about you and Draco?" Hermione hissed. "Don't pressure me! You have no idea what it was like for us! Before and after… the pressure and stress… How everyone expected us to just go back to normal once Voldemort was killed."

"I'm not trying to pressure you! And I doubt that our world really misses two giant arrogant prats like Draco and I. But you can't live like this forever! You need to embrace who you are. And you are _not _a Muggle!"

Hermione was silent for a few moments, trying to reign in her temper. She didn't want pressure from all of her friends about telling Tom about who she really was. How was she supposed to explain her past? Explain that she had been involved in a war where she was one of the main targets, not just because of her parentage – but also because of the identity of her best friend?

She sighed and turned to Blaise. "You know, you're right about something." She began.

"What's that?" Blaise asked.

"That you and Draco are two giant arrogant prats." She smirked.

"Oh you are just too funny." Blaise drawled sarcastically, causing Hermione to laugh.

* * *

Tom was looking for Hermione in the library, as she was normally here studying on a Monday afternoon. He was hoping to stay at her place again, so he could continue snooping through her flat. Tom smirked smugly. Surely if he found a spare wand at Hermione's, there was no doubt she would have a multitude of other magical items that he could investigate or perhaps _borrow_.

Walking up to the set of desks that Hermione normally sat at, he slowed down when he heard voices. Quickly ducking behind some book shelves, he realised that it was Hermione and that idiot, Blaise Zabini. _Urgh! Couldn't he just leave her alone? Why was he always trying to hang around with her when she was clearly with someone else? _Tom thought angrily as he decided to listen into their conversation…

"Blaise…You can't like me. How can you go from not giving me a single glance at school to suddenly liking me?"

Tom clenched his fists tightly. Was that moron _really _attempting to hit on Hermione? He wasn't allowed to do that! Hermione was Tom's witch – no one was allowed to touch her! He tried to calm himself down as he continued listening to the rest of their conversation.

"I didn't give many people a second glance at Howarts." Tom heard Blaise say.

"You didn't even like my 'kind'. I find it rather odd that you suddenly do."

Her _'kind'_? Kind? Wait… did that mean that Hermione was a mudblood? _His _witch was a filthy mudblood? Tom suddenly leaned against the book shelf and sucked in a deep breath. _No_. _She couldn't be! This couldn't be happening! _

How could his witch be a mudblood? She was so powerful; Tom could sense her magic and how special she was. She had reunited him with his own magic for Merlin's sake… _the Heir of Slytherin_ had been helped by someone who he should despise!

_How ironic, _Tom thought darkly. Was Dumbledore suddenly going to jump out from one of the book shelves yelling_ 'Surprise!'_ and proceed to advise Tom that he had been part of some sort of elaborate joke? They had to be kidding. After _everything _he had been put through, he was now being informed that his girlfriend was the product of muggle filth?

Tom tried to control himself. All he wanted to do was jump out from behind the book shelves and curse the both of them. As he breathed in and out, trying to control his dark urges, he continued listening to their conversation.

"What changed your mind?" Tom heard Hermione ask. He had no idea what she was talking about, as he had missed some of the conversation after the shocking revelation regarding his girlfriend.

"The war… Seeing so many die, senselessly – no matter what their background was. Seeing people lose family and friends for no other reason than that they felt what was happening was wrong and were willing to stand up for it." He heard Blaise reply.

_Sweet Salazar! _How did this emotional fool even make it into Slytherin? Sitting there, bearing his soul to a mudblood Gryffindor… _his _mudblood, Tom's subconscious quickly reminded him. Tom grimaced at the thought, but still continued listening.

"Are you okay?" Tom heard Hermione's soft voice ask.

"You're asking _me _that? You know… I had never stuck up for anyone or anything in my life? I always felt I was above it… but I was just weak." Tom rolled his eyes. _Oh, pull out a violin whilst you're at it, you berk! _He thought, sarcastically, as he now peered through the shelves and watched with annoyance as Hermione gave him a sympathetic expression.

"Maybe you were just a product of your upbringing? But at least you know now that you weren't right…" He heard Hermione reply… _Weren't right? _Tom silently scoffed.

Tom couldn't believe this! An obviously pureblooded wizard acting like a complete fool around… around… _Hermione_. Tom narrowed his eyes. He felt as though he had been lied to. Everyone had lied to him! _Everyone_. Anger coursed through his veins, though really, what was new? Tom realised early on that the only person you could trust was yourself. He _didn't _need anyone else.

Through his anger, Tom suddenly realised that they were talking about him. He began listening intently; trying to push his angry thoughts to the back of his mind and concentrate on gathering information.

"Are you serious about him?" Tom heard Blaise ask. _Yes, she is serious about me, you idiot! As if you'd even have a chance! _He thought nastily without any pre-empt – despite the recent revelations of her true parentage.

"It's funny. I have had the exact same conversation with Ginny."

"I hope I'm not going to be grouped in with your girlfriends then!" _Well you'd at least be manly in Hufflepuff_, Tom snickered at Zabini's comment.

"No! It's just strange that it should come up again in such a short space of time. I guess we've been together for a while now… Well long enough for people to start asking about us. You know he hasn't even met my parents yet?"

Tom noted the confusion and slight apprehension in Hermione's voice. Did he even want to meet her filthy Muggle parents? He supposed that's what boyfriends normally did… It could also potentially be an excellent bargaining tool in the future, he mused.

"Do you intend for them to meet him?" Zabini asked.

Tom realised that he suddenly had to decide whether he was willing to continue playing the doting boyfriend to his too-smart little Girlfriend. As he weighed up to pros and cons of continuing with Hermione, he heard something that made him smirk immensely.

"… So when are you going to tell him you're a witch?" Zabini asked.

Tom rolled his eyes. _Too late for that, _he thought smugly, as he subconsciously touched the wand he had stolen from her. But he continued to listen on curiously, wondering how odd it would be if Hermione confessed her little secret to him – especially if he was still pretending to be her doting 'Muggle' boyfriend.

"Merlin! Did you and Ginny convene some sort of meeting to discuss this?" Tom watched as Hermione huffed and hit her head on the table in exasperation. He couldn't stop the small grin that ghosted his face at the sight of her getting all riled up.

"Sorry, didn't realise that it was such a touchy subject."

"It's not… I just don't know why I can't wait, that's all." Tom frowned at this. Why _wouldn't _she want to tell him straight away? She should want to tell him all of her secrets!

"I can't believe I'm giving you helpful advice on this - it's not very Slytherin of me - but don't you think that waiting longer will only be worse for you both in the long run?"

_You aren't very Slytherin at all Zabini! _Tom thought with disgust. Salazar! Tom was beginning get the urge to travel to Hogwarts to see what on earth had happened to his house.

Hermione's stance also made him frown at her obvious distrust at telling him such a significant secret… but he had to grudgingly agree with her. It was wrong for Muggles to know about the magical world. His stomach clenched in anger at the thought of Hermione thinking that he was nothing more than a filthy Muggle. _If only she knew who he really was!_

"I suppose you have a point… But what are you going to do in the mean time?"

"I don't know. Live in the Muggle world?"

Tom's eyebrows shot up into his hairline… Hermione liked him enough to want to live in the Muggle world longer than what was necessary for her? Well, he supposed that she was a mudblood… she'd be used to this world anyway. He highly doubted it would be a huge stretch for her.

"And how long will that be? I know we're all here for university but that won't be forever. I know you wanted a break… but Hermione, the magical world is missing out by not having _you _in it!"

Tom scoffed at Zabini's angry, but equally reverent tone. _Who was Hermione Granger exactly?_ Tom's curiosity at Hermione's past was again overtaking anything else. He wanted to curse the fact that he didn't have the chance to ask that old biddy Figg about Hermione as at the time he had been much too distracted finding out about other pressing matters, like the fact that he had been vanquished once before.

"And what about you and Draco? Don't pressure me! You have no idea what it was like for us! Before and after… the pressure and stress… How everyone expected us to just go back to normal once Voldemort was gone."

"I'm not trying to pressure you! And I doubt that our world misses two giant arrogant prats like Draco and I. But you can't live like this forever! You need to embrace who you are. And you are _not _a Muggle!"

Tom thought the sound of his chosen name sounded strange coming from Hermione's lips. There were so many different emotions he could recognise in her voice, yet none of them seemed positive or admirable in any way. Hatred and disgust were the first he able to easily recognise… For some reason it made Tom's stomach feel strangely hollow… but he pushed it away quickly. What did it matter what a mudblood thought of him? She was his anyway.

Tom decided to walk away. He just… he couldn't deal with anyone at the moment. The news of Hermione's unfortunate parentage had caused him a great sudden distraction.

As he strode back through the library towards the exit he couldn't help but wonder what sort of 'hilarious' hand fate had decided to deal him. Suddenly, for some annoying reason, Zabini's annoying voice ran through his head:

'_Hermione, the magical world is missing out by not having you in it … You are not a Muggle!'_

No, but she is a mudblood! Tom wanted to seethe at the girl… _hurt _her… but oddly enough another part of him couldn't place the blame squarely on her. The logical part of him knew that she couldn't really be blamed. She had no idea who he was… had no idea that he was the man who she had once obviously fought so ardently to destroy. Tom had the clarity to recognise that fate was playing a joke as equally cruel on her as the one that was being played on him.

He was simply lucky now that he _knew_… He had one up on all of them – even that foolish Minister. Tom was sure that wasn't the last he had heard of the Minister or the old coot. He had to be prepared. It was lucky for him that the Minister was obviously reluctant for anyone else to know about Tom being alive… the secrecy of the insipid Ministry could certainly be used in his favour.

Although, perhaps he should leave Britain? Something stopped him as he thought of that idea… he didn't want to leave England just yet. He wanted to find out more about this war and well, about _him_. Perhaps he still had followers who could help him? He didn't want to even begin to analyse the _other_ reason in the back of his mind as to why he didn't want to leave Britain just yet.

As for this war that they all spoke about... How much damage had the war caused where a Malfoy now willingly spent time with a mudblood? It all just seemed a bit ludicrous to Tom. He remembered how Abraxas had been in school; he wouldn't even sit next to mudbloods in class, let alone speak to one.

Quickly walking outside he breathed in deeply as he thought of Hermione. Tom was no fool. He, himself, was half-muggle after all. But he hated Muggles. The filth he had grown up with in the Orphanage was testament to how pathetic they were. Being in Slytherin he had quickly learnt that mudbloods were certainly not welcome. Tom remembered the battle he had to fight in his first two years because his last name wasn't recognisable. Tom sneered; he had quickly shown those fools that whilst he may not have had a pureblood surname, he turned out to be more competent than all of them put together. _And more pure! _

Then, of course, he discovered that he was the descendant of Salazar Slytherin. He went from fighting – _always fighting_ – to absolutely ruling. Tom recalled with glee the enjoyment of putting arrogant pureblooded pricks such as Lestrange or Malfoy in their place, which was at his feet. He didn't have friends, he had _followers_. And the easiest way to the minds of those fools was to continue spewing the vitriol of muggle hate that their own parents had been feeding them since they had been born. Once he had shown them what he could teach them, they had become putty in his hands.

But Hermione… she was everything he had always fought against. But at the same time she was his, wasn't she?

"_It's who Hermione __**is**_**, **_Tom. It's __**what **__she is… You are, essentially, what she is too, Tom."_

He remembered what his magic had told him when they were finally reunited. His magic had essentially approved of her, for obvious reasons. But it still didn't change the fact that she was a mudblood did it?

Tom sighed in annoyance. Regardless of her despicable heritage he still needed to use her. She was his only link to the magical world. At this stage it was better for him to lay low, pretending to be Hermione Granger's '_loving'_ Muggle boyfriend than potentially mess things up. He ignored the fact that he didn't immediately recoil in disgust at the idea of continuing his relationship with the witch as well as the subconscious snicker that mocked him for not being disgusted in the first place.

* * *

Hermione hadn't seen nor heard from Tom for almost three days. He hadn't been at Uni, answered her phone calls nor answered his door when she went to check up on him. She had no idea what was going on but she was starting to get worried. What if something terrible had happened? What if he was hurt somewhere and she had no way of knowing if he was okay or not.

Hermione paced her flat, worry gnawing at her gut. It was _so _out of character for him to skive off like this – he had always been so dedicated to his education. Not to mention since they got together, they had never spent this long apart… _without _at least communicating with one another.

_What in Godric's name was going on? _She had so far refrained from going over and using her wand to break down the door, thinking that perhaps she was over-reacting slightly. Hermione didn't want to come off as the crazy, obsessive girlfriend… especially not towards Tom.

At first she thought maybe he was avoiding her; that she had done something wrong. But she had analysed _everything _that had gone on between them and couldn't pick a single moment where something may have caused him to avoid her. She realised how utterly… '_Lavender and Parvati' _she was being and quickly pushed those thoughts out of her mind. Surely if something was wrong he would have told her? Although, that first fight they had – _which _she still maintained was his fault – he hadn't spoken to her for almost a week and still refused to apologise to her. _Urgh! _Did he have to be so nonchalant and put-together all the time? Hermione always felt so out of control and almost clumsy in their relationship, and yet sometimes it seemed as though he saw it all coming before it even happened. Tom always managed to put her feelings off-kilter.

However, when he missed his second class, she began to worry. The worried mounted when she went over to his flat the day he missed class and he didn't come to the door when she knocked. She figured that maybe he wasn't home… but then he hadn't returned her calls or been at Uni again that week.

She decided that enough was enough. She was going to break down his door if he didn't answer this time! Quickly grabbing her jacket, wand, purse and keys she was ready to leave. It was about seven at night, so he _had _to be at home.

Walking down the hall she resolutely opened her door whilst pocketing her wand. Not watching where she was going she walked straight into a warm chest. Feeling familiar arms wrap around her shoulders, she looked up into Tom's green eyes.

"Tom!" She hissed and pushed him back. "What in Mer- I mean what on earth? Where have you been?"

Tom stumbled back and stared at her. Hermione felt as though he was looking at her for the very first time. Some unidentified emotion flickered through his eyes. Hermione stood still, waiting for him to say something.

Finally he spoke. "Hey." He said lightly – his voice a little husky and restrained.

Hermione cocked an eyebrow indignantly. "You're saying '_Hey'_? Seriously? I have been worried sick about you… Honestly Tom!" Hermione's voice became slightly shrill.

Tom's suddenly looked away before looking down at the floor. "My Grandmother… she uh, she died." He told her quietly, still looking at the ground.

Hermione's jaw dropped. "I – I'm so sorry." She said, suddenly feeling terrible for acting like a banshee towards him. "Are you okay?"

"I'm okay. She had had a few health scares recently." He replied, looking up at her.

Hermione quickly stepped across the hall and pulled him into her arms. "I'm so sorry Tom." She repeated. "Let's go inside." She said, taking his hand and pulling him inside with her.

* * *

If Hermione had turned around as she was leading him inside, she might have noticed the smug, satisfied smirk that graced his handsome face as he tightly gripped her hand in his…

* * *

**So now Tom knows that Hermione is a muggle born (eeek!)... He is quite unsure what to do (obviously). She is his only link to *that* world and he still sees her as being useful and can sense her power. I won't go into a spiel about Voldemort and muggles/muggle borns... As I believe he had a genuine aversion... but a lot of it was tactical as well IMHO. Let's not forget that Severus Snape, a half-blood, became his most trusted servant at one stage. BUT enough of that! I promised no spiel!**

**What will Kinsley do? How will Dumbledore react?**

**Draco visiting his Mum... this is important to the story line, even if it seems slightly random! And poor, poor Blaise...**

**I hope the whole Tom "re-listening" to their conversation wasn't too painful. I've tried to avoid this in my writing, as I have read many fanfics that do this and most of the time, it is completely unnecessary. BUT I hope it was alright.**

**Reviews are most welcome and appreciated!**

**Cheers**

**Shan**

**Off Topic *don't read if you haven't seen DH 7.2*: I went and saw the movie and WHKEIRNSUTHSHGEJFGJK! It was awesome! So many great parts (and parts I was a little disappointed with but oh well)... It was freaking amazing! Voldemort speaking in parseltongue to Nagini made me *blush*... lol **


	19. Chapter 19

Welcome to Ch19 dear readers! Sorry it has been a while between updates. Work has been crazy, I'm back at Uni again and the muse for my other story has been driving me batty (in a good way, haha). On that note, I put an A/N about plagiarism in Ch6 of my other story (that you might have already read)… with that in mind, please don't steal my shit. Thank you ever so much.

Thank you all for your reviews: Lady_Whitlock, ItsUpToYou, jaspersluv1863, AwesomePersonlolxx, CheshireCat23, e_m_o_m_i_n_t, xodreamerskyes, aringle42, romancelove, Megii_of_Mysteri_OusStranger, Kelly_Starr, ilovefireyredheads, LeahHeartsTomRiddle, HereToRead84, sweet_tang_honney, mad_bout_horses_nd_cowboys, nikif, m0nt, Kou_Shun'u, Ceralyn, ImDifferentSoWhat, Dream_a_Dream123, AvoidedIsland, BeNeRe, Mallory_Forester, NadiatheNinja123, TwistedTale, Laurie_Jupiter, MisheardLyrics, Serpent_In_Red, anonanon, Anonymous, Lady_Miya and C-berries.

**Warning:** This chapter contains smut… Don't like - don't read!

**Disclaimer:**This story is based on characters created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoat Books, and Warner Bros. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

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_And if you're frightened__ / __you can be frightened__ / __you can be, it's okay – Radiohead (My Iron Lung)_

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"But Mrs Figg is okay?" Dumbledore asked, concern lacing his voice after Kingsley had recounted what had just happened.

"Yes. She's fine." Kingsley answered shortly, frustration evident. "She's not the one we need to be worrying about."

"I know Kingsley. Calm yourself down, please. We cannot solve anything if you are not in the right mind." Dumbledore replied calmly.

"How can we possibly be calm about this?"

Dumbledore ignored Kingsley's outburst and remained looking thoughtful. "Tom's constant exposure to Miss Granger's magic is the only explanation for this. The precautions we had in place would have made it impossible otherwise." He was thinking out loud, not really taking note of the angry expression on Kingsley's face.

"What if he kills her?"

Dumbledore looked slightly troubled, then thoughtful. After a long silence he spoke. "From what you've already told me, I don't think he will-"

"This is Voldemort that we are talking about!" Kingsley interrupted hotly.

"Kingsley, please think about this. Tom had already been involved in a relationship with Miss Granger when he thought he was muggle… Now, even knowing who he is, he still sounds as though he intends to remain with her. Kingsley, I don't think our biggest problem will be trying to stop him from killing her. Our biggest challenge will be trying to, so to speak, take her away from him."

"What are you talking about?" Kingsley asked in confusion.

"I know Tom Riddle." Dumbledore began solemnly. "If there is one personality trait that has always been consistent, it is his need for ownership."

"I don't understand?" Kingsley appeared confused.

Dumbledore gave a sad sigh. "There have been many examples I could give you… from stealing toys as a young child in the orphanage to even marking his Death Eaters when he was much older, of course. Then the objects he chose for his Horcruxes. But it's not just the need to possess these things that is our biggest concern. You see, to Tom Riddle, he believes he has - or had - a right to these things. It was always his belief that he was simply collecting what was due to him. In my opinion, these two traits are extremely dangerous on a wizard as powerful as Tom."

"You think he sees Hermione as one of these… objects?" Kingsley asked.

"Oh, without a doubt." Dumbledore replied lightly.

"But she is a person - not an object!" Kingsley hissed.

"I don't believe that Tom Riddle has ever been able to differentiate between either. Of course I have no idea what he experienced when he was reunited with his magic… but I know he would be well-aware of Miss Granger's connection, and therefore, I don't think he will kill her. He sees her as being too valuable." Dumbledore finished.

"Do you think he knows she is muggleborn?" Kinglsey asked.

"He will no doubt have suspicions over her heritage, I am sure."

"So that leaves her at risk, right?"

"Tom Riddle is not stupid. Her heritage may make him uncomfortable… but it would be less than beneficial for him to act against it." Dumbledore explained.

Kinsgley sighed and slumped back in his chair. "What do we do then?"

"Find the spell he used on himself all those years ago. It may also be prudent to find a discreet way to entice Miss Granger back to the magical world… I hope I don't have to reiterate that you do it in a way where Tom won't see the Ministry as trying to intervene with their relationship."

"Are you sure this will work?"

"We don't have many options do we?" Dumbledore mused sadly. "This is a very delicate situation…Getting Miss Granger away from Tom Riddle as delicately as possible is our most important objective."

"We could just go in and take him away to Azkaban…" Kingsley sighed.

"He'll be expecting and waiting for us to do something like that." Dumbledore said.

"But-"

"Our main priority is to get Miss Granger away from him, Kingsley. There has to be no risk for her" Dumbledore reiterated seriously.

* * *

Tom was currently lying on Hermione's couch, having pretended to have fallen asleep, in the aftermath of a 'deep and meaningful' conversation with Hermione over his Grandmother's 'death'. _Now that was painful!_ Tom couldn't stand the fact that he had to actually pretend that he was upset over that stupid, old bint. It was lucky that he was so good at acting. _Salazar! _The last time he had to 'put on' such emotions, he was pretty sure he had still been at Hogwarts!

_Not to worry_, he mused, Hermione believed it all quite easily. Her naturally caring personality came through and Tom had to admit that he rather _did enjoy _how she flitted and fussed over him, cooking him dinner and making sure he was comfortable. Yes, he could certainly get used to that treatment.

Now he had free range to look around her flat. He quickly wondered how long it would take for Hermione to go to sleep. Most of the time, when he was there, she didn't take long… well, he thought smugly, as long as he wasn't providing some sort of enjoyable distraction for her _not to _fall asleep.

Tom realised that she had been settled in her room for at least 15 minutes… surely that was long enough? He quietly sat up and pulled off the blanket that Hermione had laid over him earlier.

Whilst he was sure that Hermione would be asleep, he wasn't stupid, so he cast several strong silencing spells as well as a simple ward on her door that would notify him if she woke up.

He only felt at ease when he knew that there was no way that she could hear anything. Now he could explore at will. A rush of excitement flowed through him. For the first time since he regained his memory, he felt no pressure or sense of urgency. He was free to explore and finally – well, _hopefully_ – educate himself on the last half century he had essentially missed.

The first place he went to was her bookshelf. As he got to know Hermione better, even when he was a filthy _muggle, _he thought it was out of character for her to have those awful looking romance novels on her shelves. Now, with his magic back, Tom had a feeling they were a cover for something else.

Wrinkling his nose, he chose an especially violent hot pink covered book, entitled _'Misty's Sweet Revenge',_ and flipped it open. Tom smirked, he had been right all along; the book was actually a charms book. What was unfortunate was that he wasn't interested in a text book that he would not learn anything from.

Next up was _'Passion at Full Moon' _which was more recognisable as the Hogwarts seventh year DADA book. Noting that it looked like several new chapters had been added since his time; Tom cast a quick _geminio _to duplicate the book for himself. _That could be some nice light reading_, he thought with satisfaction.

After another couple of hours, Tom had pretty much searched the flat… a couple of extra interesting 'modern' magic books and some basic potions were the only other things he took. Whilst he found looking through Hermione's possessions rather fascinating, there wasn't too much there that would be of actual use to him.

He sat down on the couch again and sighed tiredly. He should probably go to bed… _go to Hermione_… Hermione the mudblood. He stared down at his hands. The last couple of days he had spent on his own had been time spent in thought. He couldn't believe his girlfriend was a mudblood… despite this, he constantly felt a small tug in his subconscious stating that this didn't matter. She was obviously powerful and special. Tom had always seen value in fate and prophecies and wondered how this could not be fate working, after all of the recent crazy twists and turns in his life.

Therefore, he decided, after those absent days that he would return to her and see if he would be disgusted by her in person. _He wasn't._ And the excuses that he was continuously making meant that he was obviously fighting a losing battle.

Lost in thought, his eyes suddenly slid over to the small television cabinet in the corner… Something had caught his eye. It looked as though it had been hastily pushed under there rather carelessly. He stood up and quickly strode over to investigate… it looked to be quite a large object.

Pulling the object out from under the cabinet, he realised it was a book. Looking down at it, a rare, genuine smile appeared on his face. He was currently holding _Hogwarts: A History_! An extremely well-read version of, at that. Hermione must have had to have quickly hid it one day, hence it ending up under her television cabinet.

Running his fingers lightly over the cover, he opened the book and read the message on the inside…

_Dear Hermione,_

_Congratulations on getting Head Girl (we knew you'd get it!)._

_Here is the most up-to-date version of your favourite book._

_Your friends, _

_Ron, Harry, Ginny, Luna and Neville_

Hermione had made Head Girl? Well, that was something he hadn't yet known about her, Tom thought. He, of course, had been made Head Boy back in his day. Curiously, he wondered what her N.E.W.T scores were… the competitive side of him wondered if she had done better than he had. Then, his mind consciously wandered to the idea that if they grew up in the same time period, what would they have been like as Head Boy and Girl together? Several interesting situations ran through his head at the possibility_._

A smirk playing on his lips, Tom copied the book, hid it in his backpack and decided that it was _definitely_time for bed.

* * *

Hermione woke up, feeling slightly groggy and disorientated, as she felt Tom slip into bed next to her. The night suddenly came back to her. Tom's Grandmother had passed away and he had finally shown up at her flat after missing in action for almost three days. They had sat on the couch and talked, until Tom had fallen asleep. Hermione had gone to bed and left him on the couch, not having the heart to wake him – he had seemed so exhausted.

"Hey." She said quietly, voice feeling scratchy from sleep.

"Sorry I woke you." Tom whispered.

Hermione rolled over to face him. "It's okay. Are you alright?" She asked with concern.

"Yeah, I'll be okay." He said as she felt his hand run down her shoulders.

"Okay." She replied and cuddled closer to him. "What time is it?"

"It's almost three." He said, as he wrapped an arm and leg over her, pulling her closer into his chest.

"Oh, I'm so sorry! If I knew you were going to sleep for that long I would have just woken you. Hope you're not too sore from the couch?" Hermione immediately felt guilty.

"I'm fine Hermione, really." He responded, sounding amused at her sleepy rambling.

"Okay." Hermione replied, yawning as she wrapped an arm around his torso, letting her face rest against his chest.

Both lay still for a couple of moments, Hermione was close to drifting off to sleep again before she felt Tom run one of his hands down her body, whilst placing a kiss lightly on top of her forehead.

"Mmm, 'night." Hermione mumbled and felt Tom chuckle against her.

Suddenly his fingers lifted her chin up and she sighed as he kissed her. She felt so tired, yet was enjoying the feeling of being safe and wrapped up in a nice warm bed with Tom, his soft and warm lips pressing gently against hers, hands gently cupping her face.

He continued kissing her, and moved her so she was now lying underneath him, still warmly encased in blankets as he moved on top of her. She found herself slowly waking and reacting to his kisses.

Feeling one of his hands pushing her night shirt up, she shivered as his cool hand travelled up her stomach until he was cupping breast, kneading it softly. Hermione moaned into his mouth, feeling the last traces of her drowsiness disappear.

His mouth left hers and began trailing kisses down her neck and he nipped her breast through the thin material of her night shirt. Hermione shuddered as he then deftly pushed the shirt up, his breath warm and light as he kissed her breasts, causing her to hardly notice the cool night air that now wrapped around them as the blankets fell away.

Running her hands along his shoulders, they finally came to rest in his hair, which she lightly tugged at – something that she had recently made a habit of. She loved touching his hair, and knew that he enjoyed it too.

Tom moved back up her body, pulling Hermione's night shirt off in the process. He leaned down and kissed her, demanding all of her attention, as his hands continuously ran up and down her sides, causing Hermione to shudder every time he brushed the underside of her breasts.

Relishing the skin-to-skin contact, Hermione pulled him closer, wrapping her legs tightly around his hips and grinding into him. Tom groaned into her mouth and rocked back against her, causing Hermione to run her fingernails rather forcefully down his back – a sharp contrast to the way that their bodies softly pressed against one-another.

She had decided that she wanted him now. Her hips began grinding against his with an uncontrollable frequency, her small hands moving down to the waist of his boxers - lightly tugging at them, letting him know what she so desperately needed. Tom didn't need telling twice; barely breaking their kiss as he removed his boxers and helped Hermione with her own underwear.

He quickly thrust into her and she cried out, automatically tightening her grip around his shoulders as he pulled away from their kiss and looked down at her. Hermione blushed at his scrutiny, as he traced a long finger down her cheek, before he leant back down and kissed that sensitive spot on the juncture of her neck, causing her to quietly gasp as he began to move in and out of her.

Hermione relished the feel of his movements, and hummed softly in appreciation, wrapping her legs back around his waist tightly. The new position allowed Tom to enter her at a much deeper angle, and he slowly pushed back in, groaning in pleasure. Hermione rolled her hips, urging him to hurry his movements. She wasn't interested in taking this slowly; all she wanted was to meet her orgasm quickly. She felt Tom smirk against her neck at her impatience.

"Slow down little one, we're not done until I say we are…" He whispered huskily against her neck, causing Hermione to whimper.

"_Ooooh." _She moaned as he suddenly slammed back into her.

"Do you like _that_?" He growled right against her ear, his breath causing shivers to run down her spine. He grunted and slammed into her again. "I said; do you like that, _Hermione_?" He repeated very quietly, this time moving his head so he was now looking directly at her.

"Yes!" Hermione responded, eyes closed, concentrating on the build up of her impending orgasm.

"Look at me." He suddenly whispered, in a much more gentle tone compared to what he had used before.

Their eyes locked as Tom thrust in and out of her, the only noise being that of their now ragged breathing. Gripping her hips tightly, Tom moved his hips just a fraction upwards, causing intense pleasure to sweep through Hermione.

She automatically tightened herself around Tom and he moaned in pleasure; his movements becoming more and more frantic as they both moved closer to their release. Everything began to blur around Hermione and she suddenly began to uncontrollably buck her hips, seeking more friction.

"Ooooh, Tom!" She cried out as he slammed into her again, she was so close to her climax that she felt herself begin to convulse around him.

All of a sudden he pulled completely out of her, but before she could complain, he suddenly pulled her body around and she was suddenly on all fours, facing away from him. His hands gripped her hips tightly and he slammed back into her.

Hermione cried out and arched her back to give him better access.

"Hermione…" he groaned and pushed deeper into her, their new position allowing him to completely fill her.

Hermione gripped the blankets beneath her, feeling herself become more wanton and wet from each thrust. The convulsing sensation that almost went away when he moved them suddenly returned with vengeance.

They came together with one final thrust as Tom buried himself deeply inside of her, both moaning loudly as their bodies trembled together. After catching their breath, Tom pulled himself out of her and Hermione slowly sank back down into the soft blankets.

Tom pulled her into his arms. "Told you…" He whispered against her shoulder.

Hermione looked at him. "Told me what?"

He smirked and kissed her. "That we wouldn't be done until I said so."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Your punishments are just _too _cruel." She replied sarcastically. "You sure showed me."

"Well, glad we are in agreement. I can be very cruel, you know." He replied in a mock-serious tone.

"Sure. I'll keep that in mind." She snickered, as she fell further into his embrace.

* * *

He had to see them for himself. He still couldn't believe that Hermione Granger was unwittingly involved with Tom Riddle. Kingsley was currently standing out the front of Hermione Granger's building, polyjuiced, to appear as an ordinary, middle-aged muggle man. He'd cleared his schedule for the day, citing illness, and had now been standing out the front of Hermione's building inconspicuously for the last hour or so.

He glanced down at his watch, _again_, and sighed… It was now 10:30am and they were yet to surface. He was sure that Voldemort would be with her. He had no doubts that he would be reluctant to let her out of his sight now that he had been found out. He still remembered the threatening look that Tom had given when Kingsley demanded that he leave Hermione alone. It made him shudder. _Even more reason to treat this as delicately as possible_, he thought resolutely.

Suddenly, he noted that the doors to the building opened and he sucked in a sharp breath as Hermione Granger exited with Tom Riddle's arm possessively wrapped around her shoulder. The sight made him feel as though cold ice was cutting into him. He then watched as Hermione's face broke into a large smile at something Tom had whispered in her ear, and she gazed up at him before Tom pulled her even closer as they entered the crowded London streets.

Kingsley waited a few moments and then began his pursuit. He wondered where they were going… to class? Or were they just out and about? _Just like any other young couple_, he thought gloomily.

He followed them to a park which was located not too far from Hermione's flat. He watched as Hermione removed a blanket from the backpack Tom had been carrying and laid it on the grass. They then both sat down and Hermione removed what looked like food from the backpack and began serving it up. Kingsley felt sick as he noted that the whole time she was doing this, Riddle was touching her in one way or another… It was the most unsettling sight that he had seen since the war itself. He couldn't even find it amusing when he watched Hermione swat Riddle's hand away from her as she attempted to prepare their food, giving him a mock glare. Riddle simply smirked, wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her back to him, causing her to shriek and laugh at his attentions.

To Kingsley, it was the most territorial behaviour he had ever seen… to anyone else though, it looked like just another young couple '_in love'_… If only they knew. If only Hermione knew. Kingsley's stomach twisted with guilt.

He began to feel his polyjuice appearance wearing off and decided he had seen enough for the time being. It was obvious that Riddle did not yet intend on hurting her. Turning around and leaving the park, Kingsley decided that he had to make an urgent trip to the Ministry...

* * *

Hermione lay back on the picnic rug, feeling contently full after their brunch. She looked up at Tom, who seemed to be in deep thought about something, his hand absentmindedly running through her hair.

"Do you need any help planning the funeral?" She tentatively asked, thinking that he must have his Grandmother's death on his mind.

"Hmm?" He asked, suddenly looking down at her as if he had been a million miles away.

"Your Grandmother… I was just thinking… with the funeral and all that…" She uncomfortably repeated, now with his full attention on her.

He stared down at her and seemed to mull over the topic before finally speaking. "She already had it organised… you know, I guess it's what people do when they get to that age. All I had to do was sign some government papers and finalise a couple of things with the funeral home." He answered.

"What about on the day… I mean with the wake and all that?" She asked.

"Oh, well, you assume that my Grandmother had friends." He replied, causing Hermione to look up at him in confusion.

"Well yes, and what about your family?" Hermione pressed.

He looked up at the sky, "My Grandmother was pretty much a hermit… couldn't tolerate many people at all. She pretty much only had me in her life. It was a small family – lot's of 'single children' born. After my parents died, well, and her husband died, she didn't really have anyone… except me."

Hermione frowned, feeling quite unsettled about an elderly person choosing to live in seclusion. "That's awful. To have no one… well, except you, of course." She trailed off and looked away from him.

She felt Tom's fingers brush her cheeks lightly before he settled down next to her. "She chose to live like that. Don't feel sorry for her." He said.

Hermione turned and looked at him. "But I do." She replied quietly.

"She just wants ashes spread over the ocean; so no official church service." He explained, before cupping her cheek lightly. "Did anyone tell you that you are far too caring for your own good?" He asked staring into her eyes.

"Some have said that." She replied, a sad smile gracing her face, before deciding to change the topic as she didn't want to make him anymore uncomfortable. "So, are you all prepared for your summer program?"

Tom shrugged his shoulders, a look of boredom suddenly crossing his handsome features. "Yes, I suppose. I looked at the syllabus and it doesn't look challenging at all. I don't see how it could possibly help me." He said, not sounding too fussed either way.

"You don't seem that enthused. I'm sure it won't be like that at all. Plus I thought you were mainly interested in networking with the Heads of School… you know, getting on their 'radar'."

Tom didn't reply and Hermione eyed him curiously. Maybe he was just not interested because of all the recent events in his life? But she still felt as though it didn't sound like him at all. Tom was extremely committed to his studies… just like she was. They had had many conversations about how important getting his Doctorate was, and how much he was looking forward to being a part of this exclusive summer program. Still, she shrugged it off as Tom just being a bit down about his Grandmother's death. _Surely that was all?_ And when the time came around she knew that he would be ready to start.

* * *

Rabastan Lestrange did not believe in luck or fate. If such a thing existed than why was his life such a mess? Lately he felt as though he merely existed day to day, week to week and month to month. His life held no purpose or meaning. At least in Azkaban he knew the Dark Lord would rise again, and he therefore always held onto that hope. Now, whilst he had his freedom, what was it worth if he had nothing to live for?

It was therefore understandable that he questioned both luck _and _fate when he saw _her_. _The mudblood_. There she was, Hermione Granger, innocently sitting in the park without a care in the world. What were the odds? Rabastan stepped closer, obscuring himself behind a tree as he watched her and the boy she was with. He assumed they were together, just by the way they touched and looked at one-another. _Wasn't she with that Zabini kid though?_ He wondered, remembering the article he had read about her. _Perhaps not, _he mused as he watched the boy lean down and kiss her. _Disgusting, filthy mudblood,_ he thought, with a sneer on his face.

He wondered if the boyfriend was a muggle or a wizard… not that it really mattered in the end. Here she was, enjoying her life, whilst Rabastan was in hiding. _It was never supposed to be like this! _What was worse was that she was actually choosing to live like a filthy muggle whilst he had to renounce everything that he was. In Rabastan's mind, being a muggle was even worse than being a mudblood. What an inferior life they led - without magic. _Pathetic. _

Rabastan felt a flash of fury curl around his magic. It would be so easy. So easy to step out and cast the most desired unforgiveable… but as he watched her, so happy and carefree, he realised one thing, and it was one thing that made his lips curl in satisfaction. He wanted to make her suffer.

* * *

Kingsley strode into his office, causing his advisors to splutter into their coffees.

"We thought you were sick Minister!" One cried, as he quickly trailed the Minister into his office.

"Plans change. Now, I need you to get Berny Brennens up here now." Kingsley requested as he sat at his desk.

"As in the director for the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures?"

"Yes, that Berny Brenners."

"Right away boss." The assistant said, and quickly scampered away, obviously still surprised about Kingsley's sudden appearance.

Kingsley sat back in his chair, trying to ignore the sick feeling that was currently eating away at his insides. Seeing them together today confirmed all of his worst fears. Hermione Granger was in a happy relationship with someone who she should be protected from. Yet Riddle now held so many cards - and who knew whether he had cast any magic on her to keep better tabs on her now that he knew who he was.

Still, he could do it. He could take Hermione Granger away from Tom Riddle before he had a chance counter-attack. Whilst Tom Riddle held many cards in this dangerous game, Kingsley realised that Riddle didn't want Hermione to know his identity. He had obviously worked out that she wouldn't have a bar of him if she knew who he really was. Riddle probably also realised that it was in his best interest to keep his identity a secret - not just towards Hermione - but everyone. Once he got Hermione to safety, position be damned, he would destroy Tom Riddle.

"Minister?"

Kingsley looked up, shook away his thoughts, and smiled as Berny Brennens stood somewhat awkwardly at the door. A lumbering man of six foot four, Berny had been working in the Magical Creatures Department since he graduated from Hogwarts over thirty years ago. He loved his job and was one of the only wizards who could peacefully liaise with nearly all magical creatures, and therefore controlled all three divisions within the Department with such fierce organisation it put many Ministry Directors to shame. He also acted as an excellent spy for the Order during the war, keeping tabs on the magical creatures Walden Macnair had been liaising with on behalf of Voldemort.

"Ah, Berny, do come in and take a seat."

Berny smiled politely and sat down across from the Minister. "If this is about the latest peace talks with the Centaurs, I can explain-"

"No, no, this won't be about that." Kingsley quickly interrupted the nervous looking man, who seemed to almost instantly calm down at the news. "No, I have something else that needs development…"

Berny's looked up, suddenly curious. "Oh? Well, what can I do for you then Minister?"

"Do you remember one of my promises – concerning your Department in particular – when I was first offered the role of Minister?" Kingsley asked.

Berny thought for a minute before realisation dawned on his face. "The House Elves?" He asked.

Kingsley nodded. "As you know, House Elves are a touchy political subject. They actually enjoy what they do – but they are often treated in an archaic and barbaric fashion. I want you to begin building a policy surrounding Elves that will recognise their right to work, but also to ensure humane treatment by those they work for."

Berny's eyes bulged. "Minister, whilst I do believe that this is extremely important, this is not a policy that can be enacted quickly… We'll need more staff, research will need to be conducted, a marketing campaign, not to mention an evaluation will then need to be conducted… this could stretch out for years."

Kingsley smiled at the man indulgently. "Which is lucky considering I have just received the latest budget figures and Magical Creatures has done quite well this financial year. I want this to be marketed officially as _'Dobby's Policy'_ and I want a whole new team with fresh ideas on the project." Kingsley explained.

He watched as the Berny's eyes lit up at the possibility of his Department receiving some positive media. For Kingsley, this was just the start… he now had an Order reunion to organise.

* * *

**So I guess you can say we are now getting to the beef of the story! This chapter wasn't as long as the others, but it had everything important in it for the ball to really start rolling.**

**So, Tom's got his books and decided that Hermione's heritage is worth overlooking - especially when it comes to certain enjoyable past-times ;P But on a more serious note, I do believe he would view her now as his 'possession' - muggleborn or not. And it's quite obvious that he doesn't want to let her go just yet. But hmm, I wonder what he has in mind? He can't keep this muggle charade forever! **

**As for Kinglsey... Hmm, what is the Minister up to? besides being incredibly careful... I wanted to write him in a scene watching the two of them as a couple. Whilst I've been writing this, I've often wondered how the two of them would be viewed by strangers on the street... how they would be perceived etc etc :)**

**And Rabastan! our favourite Death Eater makes an appearance and has revenge on his mind!**

**Thank you all for reading. I welcome all reviews! XD**

**Cheers**

**Shan**


	20. Chapter 20

Hi All, welcome to Chapter 20. I know this has been a long time coming, and to those who have followed and supported this story I apologise for the wait and thank you for continuing to support it! In between finishing uni, working, being pregnant and my other story I got a bit of writers block and had a total lack of time to dedicate to it.

I feel like there is a bit of fluff in this chapter, a bit of a Merry Christmas of sorts :)

Also, happy (belated) birthday to Lady Miya and Nerys! there is one scene in particular for you two birthday girls ;) Speaking of which...

WARNING! Slight smut scene ahead! Don't like? Don't read!

**********Disclaimer****:** This story is based on characters created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoat Books, and Warner Bros. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

* * *

_XXX_

_Burn red, red and gold__ / __The deep dark colours of the snakes I hold__ / __Burn red, burn red, burn red and gold__ / __The deep dark colours of the devil at home__ / __She pulls me down just as I'm trying to hide__ / __Grabs me by the hair and drags me outside__ / __and starts digging in the dirt for a not so early bird__ / __It's the only way for her to get the worm – The Cure (Wrong Number)_

_XXX  
_

"Are you ever going to move that ugly antique from our living room, or am I going to continue having to look at how hideous it is forever?" Blaise said as he eyed the giant chest which was now multi-tasking as a coffee table.

"Wha-?" Draco finally looked away from the television.

Blaise rolled his eyes in frustration. "That… _thing_," He gestured at the chest, "will it remain in the living room?"

Draco looked mildly offended. "For your information, that _thing _happens to have been in the Malfoy family for generations… passed down to each first born male – it's probably worth more than every other piece of furniture in this flat!"

Blaise continued eyeing it distastefully. "Well there is that saying that money certainly can't buy taste." He commented nonchalantly as he wandered into the kitchen and poured them both a fire whiskey.

Draco huffed. "Says the one who allowed his mother to decorate his room…"

Blaise came back into the living room and sat down on the couch next to Draco and handed him his drink. "I had no choice in that! She did sneak in and when I got back it had been done."

Draco shrugged his shoulders and took a sip of his drink. "What is it about women and decorating? Mother was almost unbearable when I saw her last… I mean, is there even a difference between cyan and celeste?"

"What in Salazar's name is cyan and celeste?" Blaise asked incredulously.

"They are colours apparently!" Draco exclaimed.

"… Colours…" Blaise nodded his head, and then looked as though he came to some kind of realisation. "We are officially losers."

"What are you going on about? You can speak for yourself, you know."

"Er, here we are, sitting and talking about… _colours_. I bet Potty and the Weasel aren't even that pathetic."

Draco didn't respond, deciding instead to take a rather large sip of his drink.

Blaise exhaled in frustration. "I mean, what are we even doing? We never used to have trouble getting girls."

"Well, I am not dating a muggle Blaise… can you imagine not being able to use your magic _at all_? I may be more accepting than before, but bloody hell, one step at a time alright?"

"I'm not saying we should go out with the nearest girls! We don't even have to go out with them at all…"

Draco looked at him incredulously. "You are kidding me right? And what is this all about anyway? Finally stopped mooning over Granger for ten minutes to realise that other girls do exist?"

"Shut it," Blaise replied tiredly. "I'm just saying that I don't understand why we are sitting around not enjoying ourselves… until the right girl comes along."

"Or Granger realises that she is with a complete twat – allowing you to finally swoop in without blue balls?" Draco laughed at his quip.

"Whatever…" Blaise shook his head in annoyance. "This is not about Hermione."

"Of course it isn't," Draco replied sarcastically.

"I am not discussing that with you. Anyway, have you even looked inside the chest?" Blaise said, quickly changing the topic.

Draco raised his eyebrows at Blaise's quick conversation change, but didn't comment. "No, I haven't looked in it… It's probably nothing much anyway."

"Well I'm sure your Mother would be pleased to know it is getting some use," Blaise commented sarcastically, looking at Draco's feet resting on top of it.

"Oh shut it or I'll change the subject _back_," Draco drawled, before draining the rest of his drink.

* * *

Hermione sighed as she looked over her notes. "I don't know how I am going to be prepared for these exams."

Tom leaned closer and looked over her shoulder. "What do you mean?"

"It's just that we have to cover _four_ books and he wants an essay style response for each of them… What if I forget something? What if I don't write enough for each book? What if I run out of time?" She nibbled on her bottom lip worriedly.

They were currently sitting in Tom's flat going over their exam notes. Hermione was slowly getting more and more flustered as the exam week approached and, of course, felt as though she was not nearly prepared enough to pass at the level she was accustomed to.

"Firstly, you need to stop worrying… it'll only make things worse," Tom said, interrupting her thoughts, "Secondly, look at all your preparation," and he gestured towards the copious amount of notes that sat on the table in front of them, "I would hate to see what you consider as being _too _prepared." He finished, lightly chuckling at her dark expression.

Hermione huffed. "Oh, it's alright for you… Mr 'I'm-so-good-I-got-into-the-summer-program'… we all know _you'll _pass with flying colours."

Tom fought a smirk, as the corners of his lips twitched. "Well, isn't it lucky that you get to study with me then?" He replied arrogantly.

Hermione turned and glared at him. "Very smooth," She countered, before turning away in annoyance and looking back at her notes.

"Hermione, don't be like that…" Tom whispered, dropping a chaste kiss against her neck.

Hermione decided that she wasn't going to put up with his usual antics and therefore attempted to ignore him, though it was almost impossible. Tom didn't like to be ignored, and the more she did it, the more daring he became in his behaviour. When he began nibbling on her ear, she finally turned around.

"Are you quite alright there?" She asked with a hint of annoyance. "Some of us are trying to study here." She added imperiously.

He gave one of his signature smirks and pulled her towards him, with her ending up straddling his lap. "Ah yes, but everyone needs study breaks." He replied quietly as one of his hands travelled up into her hair, lightly massaging her scalp.

"I know what you're trying to do," Hermione scowled. "And it won't work… I really need to study!"

"What am I trying to do then?" He asked quietly as he pulled her closer towards him, her face now mere inches from his.

Hermione blushed. "You're trying to distract me."

Tom raised an eyebrow. "Distract you? Surely not, Hermione…How could you accuse me of such things?"

Hermione's cheeks burned at their close proximity, her breathing became rapid and she shivered as Tom's hand left her hair and gently cupped her cheek. She couldn't process why she still felt like this even though they had been together for a while now and spent so much time around each other. Surely they had been together long enough for her to calm down whenever he was so close to her? Was this even normal? She wondered if she should ask Ginny about it…

Tom didn't let her think too much longer on the topic, as he quickly brought his lips to hers, closing the small distance that was remaining between them. Hermione sighed into the kiss bringing her arms up around his shoulders, pushing herself up against his torso. Tom made an appreciative noise and ran his hands down her back, finally resting them on her hips where he drew her shirt up slightly and began tracing light circles on her bare skin.

Hermione shivered as his fingers began moving all across her lower back and then began travelling upwards, where they eventually rested on the clasp of her bra. She clutched onto his shoulders for more support as he deepened the kiss, whilst fiddling with the clasp. Just as it came undone, Hermione pulled back, quickly breaking their kiss. Tom gave her a questioning look that bordered on annoyance.

"What are you doing?" She asked, rather breathlessly.

Tom stared at her, and Hermione flushed at the intensity of his gaze, his hands still on her upper back, running up and down her spine lightly.

"What does it seem like I'm doing?" He asked quietly.

"I really need to study - this probably isn't such a good idea," Hermione said awkwardly, pulling back from him.

Tom tightened his grip on her back, effectively pulling her back towards him. "You didn't seem to have a problem just then,"

"That was because…" Hermione paused, as she felt his hands move around to her front and move under her bra, cupping her breasts.

"Because?" He smirked, and she felt Goosebumps prickle as his fingers lightly brushed against her nipples.

"Because I didn't realise-" She began to say as he closed the gap between them and began lightly sucking on her lower lip.

"Didn't realise what?" He asked between kisses.

Hermione's face heated to an uncomfortable level. She had to study! This always happened, and she felt no-where near prepared enough for her exams. She pulled back from him and removed herself from his lap.

"Because I wasn't expecting… _you know_…" She finally was able to answer once she was out of his embrace.

"What are you doing?" He asked with a slight hint of incredulity in his tone.

Hermione had begun putting her books in her bag before she turned and looked at him. "I need to study; I'm going to head home." She replied, turning away from Tom and zipping her bag up.

"Don't be ridiculous," He said, brow furrowed, as he grabbed her hand and tugged on it.

"Me being ridiculous? I am worried about my exams… and lately, all you seem to be interested in is…is…" Her cheeks flushed before she could finish the sentence.

Tom looked at her quizzically, "What? You mean _fucking_?" He replied sarcastically, "What's your problem?"

"_What _is your problem exactly?" Hermione asked indignantly, annoyed at how crass he was being.

Tom regarded her in a nonchalant manner. "I don't have a problem, you're the one with the obvious problem," He replied as he stood up, walking around her, and into the kitchen where he poured himself a glass of water and proceeded to ignore her.

Hermione felt something painful twist in her chest at his behaviour. A certain something niggled in her mind that made her want to stay and just spend the night with him and make sure they were okay. However, the stubborn part of her refused to be a part of whatever game he was playing. She didn't know what had gotten into him; he was acting like such a spoilt child.

"You know," Hermione began and Tom looked up at her from where he stood at the kitchen counter. "I best go; I'm obviously wasting my time here with you!" She snapped, as she flung her backpack onto her shoulder.

Tom rolled his eyes, which infuriated Hermione even more. "Don't say ridiculous things Hermione," He replied as if he was speaking to a child. "Now go sit down and study - if you must." He added what could only be described as both a condescending and ordering tone.

Hermione's eyes flashed. "Don't tell me what to do!" She hissed angrily and began walking towards the front door, ignoring his footsteps as he quickly followed her.

"Hermione, stop, what are you doing?" He asked in annoyance, as he grabbed her arm just as she reached the door.

"I am going home, please let me go," She demanded.

"No," He replied sternly and Hermione could sense anger radiating off him in waves.

"Let go of me," She said in a quietly dangerous tone.

"No," He repeated as he took another step towards her, his grasp on her hand softening. He took another step and she felt herself being pushed against the hallway wall.

She stared up at him as he looked down at her. His free hand reached up and stroked her cheek, causing Hermione's pulse to quicken at his gentle touch. He suddenly closed the distance between them and pressed a soft kiss against her cheek.

"Don't leave," He whispered softly against her cheek.

Hermione's chest tightened, and she softly sighed as he nuzzled her neck, pressing soft kisses wherever he could. It was true, she didn't want to leave, but she also didn't want him bossing her around like he just had either. She was suddenly at a loss – continue being stubborn just to purposely go against him or give into what she really wanted. She didn't want to leave, she just wanted him to recognise how stressed she was about her exams. However, for some reason she felt as though something much more had passed between them as he continued to kiss her softly, his hands entwining with hers.

He suddenly moved away from her neck and looked her in the eyes. The look he gave was so intense Hermione shuddered. He leaned over and his nose brushed hers before he leant down and captured her lips. Hermione felt a pressure leave her that she didn't know was even there. She had no idea what had just occurred between them but she held his hand much more tightly and tentatively returned his kiss. At her acceptance, he deepened the kiss, and she sighed softly as he pressed himself against her.

He slowly pulled away, and they stared at one-another. "Stay." He said quietly, a small smirk playing on his lips.

Hermione couldn't stop her lips from slightly curling upwards as she looked up at him, "I suppose." She replied quietly, before reaching up and pulling his head down and kissed him demandingly, realising that from the start, she never intended to leave at all.

* * *

Rabastan remained sitting across from the muggle boyfriend's building and sighed tiredly. It had become quite clear that the mudblood wouldn't be making an appearance tonight. Running a hand through his hair, he mused that everything would happen at the right time. It bothered him that the boyfriend was _always _around. He had been watching them for the last two days and it looked as though the boyfriend was a package deal with the mudblood.

Every time he saw her it instilled a rage that was always lurking dangerously underneath the surface. It crackled in his magic, and he found himself unable to reconcile that she was able to walk freely whilst he lived in the shadows. Rabastan had lived in the shadows for too long. To him, it was such a _waste_.

Finally reconciling that staying and watching the flat was also a waste of his time, he apparated to Tallis Manor. Deciding he didn't want to go to bed just yet, he shrugged his coat off and made his way to the library. The Tallis library was filled with an extraordinary number of books, and before he had started tailing the mudblood he had spent many days simply reading. There were books in here that Rabastan had never seen or even heard of before – which was strange considering that he always felt he was quite well-read and knowledgeable. Lou had told him that her father's book collection was pretty much unrivalled in England and Rabastan had to agree. He thought that his family had kept a magnificent collection, but it paled in comparison to this. It wasn't just any collection either; it was the extensive collection on dark magic captured Rabastan's interest the most.

As he made himself comfortable with a book on dark creatures which he had been perusing before the mudblood has seemingly taken priority in his life, he heard a small cough. Looking up he saw Lou standing in the doorway, and Rabastan wondered if she had been waiting for him to get back.

"Good evening," He greeted and gave her a nod.

Lou nodded and smiled before sitting across from him with her own book. "Mind if I join you?" She asked.

Rabastan shrugged, "It's your library," He replied politely, "of course I don't mind."

Lou smiled. "I haven't seen you for a few days, it's like you haven't been here at all," She commented lightly.

Rabastan looked up again; her tone wasn't nosey, merely observant. "Just out checking on… things," He replied nonchalantly, shrugging his shoulders.

Lou raised her eyebrows slightly. "By that I'm assuming you are, how do I say… _missing _your old ways?"

"You say that like I have actually given up my old ways," Rabastan smirked. "I may be in hiding, but I'd never give them up." He said with finality.

Lou's expression was blank, though Rabastan could see something quickly flash through her eyes. She sighed before looking him in the eyes, "Rabastan, my heart is in the right place when I ask you to consider refraining from such… _activities_."

"Whilst I appreciate everything you've done for me, you cannot be my keeper as well," Rabastan replied carefully.

"I know," She gave a small smile; "I just wouldn't be able to forgive myself if something happened to you. You are protected here… this place is virtually untraceable. Don't you think it best to simply lay low for the time being?"

Rabastan let out a frustrated breath and rubbed his temple. "I don't know how much more of this _'laying low_' I can actually handle," He replied.

"I know it's hard, but you need to protect yourself – not chase after revenge." She added quickly.

Rabastan stared at Lou, who calmly returned his stare as though she wasn't the least bit ruffled. _Did she know what was going on? _He wondered to himself. How could she know though? Rabastan had made no noise of finding the mudblood and he doubted that Lou was some sort of master legillimens… as intelligent as he knew she was. Was she simply using the powers of deduction? He suspected that she was merely drawing from straws.

"You don't need to worry about me," He finally replied with a smile. "I'd never do anything to put myself in harm's way."

Lou seemed to relax – if only a little – at his words. She gave him a genuine smile, "I'm glad to hear of it."

* * *

Hermione grinned as she felt fingers dance lightly across her naked back. She squirmed as they moved to her sides and cool lips replaced the fingers, lightly tracing the curve of her spine.

"Haven't you had enough yet?" She asked playfully as he finally reached her shoulders. After she had decided to stay at his flat – despite her earlier anger at him – she had been left alone to study. However the less-than-subtle brushes of Tom's fingers whenever he walked past her alerted her to the fact that he was not going to take any sort of refusal once she had finished. His actions, whilst appearing simple and innocent, were anything but and Hermione found herself constantly blushing at the touches or the heated glances he repeatedly sent her.

"Have you?" He asked lightly in return, and Hermione felt a pleasant shiver run through her as his breath tickled her neck and shoulder.

"Not sure…" She feigned boredom and even added in a yawn for effect. "I'm quite tired, you've kept me up quite late," She responded.

Tom growled and flipped her over so she was now lying on her back and looked down at her, a small smirk playing on his lips. "Your _bedtime_ is the least of my worries, darling," he replied in a mocking tone.

Hermione laughed and reached up and traced his cheek lightly. She never thought that she would find this sort of relationship with a muggle. She always thought she would end up with a wizard… for a long time she had thought that wizard would be Ron, but now realised that there was no romantic compatibility there at all. She knew it sounded odd, considering she had fought for muggle and muggleborn rights in the war, but she just thought she'd never have anything in common with a muggle man. That wasn't to be discriminatory either, she just thought after so many years in the wizarding world she'd never be able to intimately relate to someone who didn't have a similar history.

She felt like she could relate to Tom on many different levels though. As their relationship progressed she found herself worrying less and less about the fact that he was a muggle and knew it was only a matter of time before she would reveal who she was. A small knot of worry formed in the pit of her stomach at the risk that he might reject her if he found out what she was, but she knew that the longer she left it the more she felt as though she was lying to him. Her face must have shown her worry because he suddenly cocked an elegant eyebrow.

"What's wrong?" He asked.

"Nothing," She smiled and quickly pushed the negative thoughts away.

Tom looked at her sceptically, but she didn't expand on anything and he didn't press her any further.

"What do you want to do tomorrow?" He asked, changing the topic.

"Don't you mean today?" Hermione retorted after a quick glance at the clock beside the bed.

"Today, then…" He replied and rolled his eyes as he leant down and nuzzled her neck.

"Well I promised I'd go visit Mum and Dad," She paused, wondering if she should invite him with her… that was appropriate wasn't it? Eventually introduce your boyfriend to the parents. Hermione swallowed nervously. "If you want, you could come along with me…" She asked tentatively, "though don't feel as though it's a huge deal or anything," she quickly added.

Tom suddenly looked very amused at her and quirked an eyebrow. Hermione looked away feeling slightly embarrassed about the whole thing.

"You want me to meet your parents?" He asked, sounding slightly surprised.

Hermione tried to remain indifferent but felt as though she was failing miserably. "Well only if you want to, it's no big deal - just lunch."

Tom remained silent for a few moments as he studied her. Hermione felt uncomfortable under his gaze – feeling like a right idiot for even suggesting it – and studiously tried to look anywhere but directly at him.

"I'll come," He finally said, causing Hermione to look at him in surprise, "Considering you see it as 'not a big deal'." He smirked.

"You will?" She asked, sounding surprised.

Tom merely nodded, before leaning down and kissing her. "Now, where were we?" He grinned roguishly as he moved to lay between her thighs.

* * *

Tom followed Hermione up a neat garden path to what looked like a comfortable home: _so distinctly middle-class_, he mused to himself.

On a whim, the night before, he had decided to accept Hermione's rather embarrassed invitation to her parents' house for lunch. He had figured the more he ingratiated himself into her life, the easier it would be to eventually keep her.

He knew he would have to think of a plan soon, and had several ideas running around in his mind which could possible work. It was too risky to keep the current charade up. He knew that the Minister would be currently trying to plot his demise and the threat he left at his supposed "Grandmother's" place wouldn't be good forever. However it would be momentarily suitable in the fact that it gave him extra time.

Hermione opened the front door and tentatively called out a greeting to her parents. As they stepped through the front door she took his hand in hers and gave him a small grin before leading him into what appeared to be the lounge room. Suddenly a woman appeared from the hallway with a large smile on her face.

"Hermione!" The woman who was obviously her mother smiled brightly at her and walked over to give her a hug.

"Mum," Hermione replied happily and returned the hug before pulling back and motioning to Tom. "This is my… _boyfriend_, Tom Smith," She gestured somewhat nervously and before her mother could say anything she continued, "We met at Oxford, he's in my classes." She gave her mother a meaningful look that Tom interpreted as her saying he wasn't a wizard, which made him want to laugh right then and there.

"Oh hello Tom, welcome! Hermione didn't even tell us she had a boyfriend," She turned and gave Hermione a half-hearted glare, before turning back to Tom. "It's lovely to meet you."

Tom shook her hand and gave her a smile back, "Hello Mrs Granger, lovely to meet you too. I hope I'm not intruding on your time with Hermione."

"Oh, no! Of course not Tom – the more the merrier… and call me Jane," She smiled. "Well follow me; I was just getting all the food ready." She said and motioned for them to follow.

Hermione gripped Tom's hand and gave him an approving smile. They followed Jane out to a rather large conservatory where an older man was sitting and reading a book.

"Hugo, Hermione's brought a special guest along," Jane announced. The man, _Hugo_, looked up from his book and gave a curious look towards Tom and Hermione's clasped hands.

"Dad, this is my boyfriend Tom Smith-" Hermione began but Jane quickly spoke over top of her.

"They met at university dear," She gave him the same meaningful look Hermione had given before and Tom wanted to snicker out loud.

A short look of understanding passed on Hugo Granger's face and he quickly stood and stepped over to them. Tom realised that whilst Hermione looked very much like her mother, she had her father's eyes.

"Hugo Granger, pleased to meet you Tom," He held his hand out which Tom firmly shook. He didn't fail to notice how tightly Hermione's Dad gripped his hand in return. Tom kept his face neutral.

"It's nice to meet you Mr Granger," Tom replied in his most respectful voice.

"Oh call him Hugo, Tom," Jane said with a smile. Hugo simply nodded in agreement and Tom suddenly realised where Hermione got her bossy nature from.

They made themselves comfortable at the table and Jane served up lunch, which consisted of fresh bread, chicken and salad. Tom had to admit that Hermione's Mum was an excellent cook. Not to mention that despite the fact that they were muggles, they weren't as annoying as most. They were actually intelligent and seemed genuinely interested in what Tom and Hermione were doing at university. Not that Tom even really cared about his university studies anymore. He was simply biding his time now, and would soon ditch university when he could work out the next best course of action.

Observing the way Hermione interacted with her parents, Tom wondered how much they knew about what she had gotten up to in the last few years. Since gaining a copy of her latest version of _Hogwarts, A History_ Tom was able to piece together more of what had happened in the last few years, as well as get an idea of how his defeat occurred. Of course the book detailed what was referred to as the 'final battle' at Hogwarts and Tom finally learnt the exact details of his demise at the hands of Harry Potter. The book didn't detail much about what occurred outside of Hogwarts itself but Tom was easily able to piece together information from Hermione's notes on him and make a calculated guess as to what had happened to him and how Hermione Granger had fit into things.

Whilst - at first - he was furious at the entire situation, he realised that he had to quickly adapt and use what he had to his advantage. Hermione was given to him for a reason, and he didn't see why he had to give her up. He knew she was a talented witch he just needed to tie her to him in a way that would mean she was forever his. It would prove difficult though. Not only did he have to think about the Ministry – as spineless and incompetent as they were – but there was also the small issue of her _friends_. Harry Potter would be a problem… _Hell_, he even believed those idiots Malfoy and Zabini could be a potential problem. However, if he played his cards right…

"Tom, do you want desert?" Hermione pulled Tom out of his thoughts as he felt her hand softly stroke his knee to get his attention.

He quickly turned to her and gave a smile that had fooled so many in the past, "I'd love some."

* * *

Tom helped Hermione carry the dishes into the kitchen and they began to load the dishwasher.

"Thanks for coming today," Hermione said as she stepped towards him and wrapped her arms around him, "I think Mum and Dad really like you." She stood up on her toes and quickly kissed him.

Tom, enjoying the physical contact, held onto her and leant down and gave her a firmer kiss. "What's not to like?" He teased.

Hermione rolled her eyes good naturedly. "You are far too modest."

"Indeed…" He placed another kiss on her temple and let her wiggle out of his grip.

They finished loading the dishwasher and Hermione put all of the left-over food away. Tom finished what he was doing and turned and watched Hermione bend over to put the left over saladin the fridge. Enjoying the view of her in a skirt, he didn't hide his pleased expression when she finally turned around and caught him staring. He was expecting her to blush or jokingly reprimand him, however when a mischievous smirk appeared, he had to admit that he was slightly thrown off.

She sauntered up to him, devious look still in place, and placed her hands on his chest. Tom had never seen Hermione give such a look before – she was quite innocent in all things sexual before she met him, after all – but he had to admit that he was finding this newly found… _confidence_ quite inspiring. Normally it was him doing all the manipulating in that arena…

"You haven't had a tour of the house yet…" Hermione announced, whilst running her hands down his chest.

Tom pasted a thoughtful expression on his face. "That's very true… I'm curious to see the rest of your… _house_." He responded and watched as her pupils dilated in response to the sibilant tone he used to finish his sentence.

Hermione didn't reply and instead took his hand and led him out of the kitchen. Still slightly thrown off by her change in behaviour, Tom simply followed wondering what she had up her sleeve, not admitting that he would like to pull her into the nearest closet and have his way with her.

Half an hour later Tom was silently cursing the cheekiness of his girlfriend. So far, there had been _no _action whatsoever. Hermione had cheekily pointed out the most boring aspects of her house – including an awful garden tour – and gone into lengthy explanations about random objects such as paintings or the piano in the living room. The only problem with this was that when she was out of earshot of her parents she used the most seductive voice he had ever heard to explain said boring things and Tom – for once in his life – didn't know how to react. It was even worse because she wouldn't let him even touch or kiss her. It was obvious that she was playing with him and Tom couldn't wait to get her home to teach her a lesson, as well as demand that she use that voice on a more regular basis.

He had just had to listen to her lecture him regarding a particular painting that her parents had on display on the staircase when she tugged on his hand and led him up to the second level. At this point he had no idea what to expect, so when she quickly looked around and pushed a random door open and dragged him inside he was, yet again, surprised. Tom found himself in what looked like Hermione's childhood bedroom. The walls were a pale purple colour and there were at least two bookshelves stuffed to the brim with books and a single bed with a pink bedspread.

Before he had any more time to take in the surroundings she pushed him onto the bed and stood before him. He reached for her but she quickly took a step back causing him to raise his eyebrows in annoyance.

"Hermione-" He began, but was quickly interrupted.

"You've been _so good _today Tom…" She said in a cheeky yet seductive tone. "I've always thought good boys deserve to be rewarded." She smirked.

Tom cocked and eyebrow and found himself becoming aroused at the many possibilities that were currently running through his mind. "What sort of rewards?" He asked and leaned back slightly on the bed.

"You'll see…"

"And here I thought you'd taken me in here to talk to me about more _paintings_." He commented as he looked her up and down, wanting nothing more than to rip that skirt off her.

Hermione looked at him so innocently. "You said you wanted to have a tour of the house… I was simply being polite." She replied and walked towards him, leaning down and kissing him.

Tom eagerly returned the kiss. He had wanted to kiss her since she had been using that seductive tone throughout her little 'tour'. His witch was full of surprises and whilst he enjoyed holding control in the bedroom most of the time, he had to admit he was curious to see what she had in mind. He tried to pull her down towards him but she held her ground and pulled back, giving him a look he couldn't decipher as she kneeled in front of him. Tom kept his face impassive as she looked up at him, the smallest trace of nervousness crossing her features as she let her hands slide up his legs and grip his thighs.

Tom simply stared back at her and sat up straighter, allowing his hands to cover hers and pull them up higher. Any signs of uncertainty suddenly disappeared from her eyes and Tom observed as she bit her lower lip and peeked up at him as she moved her hands out from underneath his and towards his belt buckle. Tom knew what she wanted to do, and remained still, allowing her to proceed. Her hands trembled slightly as they undid his jeans and pulled his boxer shorts down, despite the fact that she had done this particular activity with him before. Tom therefore realised that she was nervous because it was part some kind of grand plan she had been formulating. She was obviously turned on by the idea of being with him in her childhood bedroom whilst her parents were none the wiser downstairs. He felt himself harden even more at the idea of her thinking and planning every move to do this to him.

When he felt her warmth mouth warp around him he couldn't help the quiet moan that escaped his lips. As she licked, teased and sucked Tom tried to control his breathing and moved his hand to her wild mass of hair, and gripped it tightly, as if to regain some control over himself and her. But she didn't need to be told, as soon as she felt his hands in her hair, she began bobbing her head up and down, sucking harder, causing Tom to curse loudly as he felt her tongue flick quickly around his tip. By the time she introduced her hands Tom knew he was close. He looked down and, as if by chance, she looked back up at him and Tom felt himself slipping as he took in her big brown eyes, flushed cheeks and pink, swollen lips. Gripping her hair tightly he pushed her head forward and thrust his hips up as he felt himself spill inside her mouth. She swallowed it all and he felt her fingertips dance lightly on his hips.

His grip loosened on her hair and she pulled away discretely wiping at the corners of her mouth. Tom looked down at her and gave her a small grin. She smiled back, and Tom pulled her up into his arms and kissed her deeply. She pulled back and looked at him.

"Well, that was a rather pleasant surprise," He said as he began reaching under her skirt.

Hermione pulled his hand back out, causing Tom's eyes to darken in annoyance. "Trust me, I'd love to, but Mum and Dad will become suspicious… we don't want them coming and looking for us." She explained.

Tom, whilst very annoyed at her not letting him do what he wanted to do, could reason with that. "Okay, but when we get leave I get to have my way with you," He ordered.

"I'll hold you to that." She grinned

* * *

Finally having left her parents house, Tom held Hermione's hand tightly as they made their way up the street. She was laughing about the way her parents had gushed over her and Tom as a couple and asked them to come back the following week for lunch. Tom couldn't think of anything worse, however, in the spirit of keeping pretences up, had agreed so politely it made his teeth hurt.

"So, when am I going to meet your friends?" Tom asked as they walked through a small park, towards the tube station.

Hermione blushed. "You want to meet them?" She asked.

"Sure, I'd love to meet the people you went to school with." He replied. "Imagine all of the _stories _they could tell me."

"I suppose I could organise a dinner or something." She finally said.

"You seem reluctant," He said and stopped them, turning Hermione to face him.

"No! no! It's not that at all." She quickly replied and smiled reassuringly at him.

Tom was about to reply when he felt a sudden unmistakeable shift in the air. Following his instincts, he turned and saw a tall figure approaching them. As the figure came closer, Tom observed it was a man in black wizard robes with auburn hair and a dark smirk. The man looked ridiculously familiar though Tom realised that there was no way he would be acquainted with someone who looked so young, considering where his memories officially ended.

The man looked between the two of them and smirked before allowing his wand to fall gracefully into his fingertips. "Well, well, well… isn't this romantic?"

* * *

Ahhhhh and there you have it... Now the fun can begin ;)

A fair bit of development in their relationship from both sides in this chapter... I wonder what will happen now that Rabastan has revealed himself? Mwahahaha...

Thank you for reading and I welcome reviews :)

**Thank you for reviewing chapter 19:**

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	21. Chapter 21

AN: Hi all, fancy that, seeing an update for this story … It's only been nine months or so (don't rush things, right?). This chapter has been written (with much frustration) several times and then some, changed POVs and I even toyed with just abandoning it. My excuses? Well, I lost my muse for this story … big time. There's nothing more frustrating than writing a story, knowing the ending and then your writing not living up to how you imagine certain scenes in your mind. So that's why I spent so long sitting on it.

I want to dedicate this chapter especially to: **AwesomePersonlolxx**, I know you've been waiting (and hinting, lol) for this update for a while ;) and thank you for always reviewing and supporting my stories. You're an absolute gem. And also, the anon reviewer "**just an ordinary 17 year old**" (Lidija from Croatia!), for leaving me one of the nicest reviews I have ever, EVER received. Thank you, thank you, thank you :)

Chapter song recommendations: "Lonesome" by Unwritten Law, "Rabbit in your Headlights" by Unkle, and "Blood on the Ground" by Incubus.

* * *

XXX

"So sorry to interrupt," the man said mockingly as he slowly approached them, stopping within mere feet from them.

Hermione tensed, her posture becoming immediately defensive. The man looked somewhat familiar, and judging by his dangerous expression, Hermione doubted very much that this was someone who she would be on friendly terms with. She immediately reached for her wand, which she had been keeping in her handbag.

"Oh, come now, no need to get on the defensive straight away, little mudblood," he said, looking between her and her wand. "If you just listen to what I have to say, I'm sure we can come to some kind of mutual understanding."

"What do you want?" Hermione asked, her voice uncharacteristically hard. She now recognised the man. He looked healthier now, but he had definitely been one of the Death Eaters in the Department of Mysteries fiasco during their fifth year.

"Well firstly, don't you think we should introduce ourselves? I mean, I know you're _Hermione Granger_, but do you know me?"

"A Death Eater."

"Well done," the man sneered before his face twisted back into some sort of polite mockery. "But yes, Rabastan Lestrange at your _service_," he replied with a feral glint in his eyes as he looked her over.

_Lestrange! _Of course it was him. Hermione felt sick at the possible implications. How had he managed to evade the Ministry for so long, yet still be in Britain? She remembered the conversation she'd had with Harry and Ron not all that long ago. Had he been following her? For how long? A knot of fear formed in the pit of her stomach. He had obviously been following her, thankfully, the wards had kept him out of her flat. But she had been careless and overly confident, thinking that the man really wouldn't be bothered to target her.

"So, now those introductions are taken care of, let's cut to the chase shall we?" he asked. "You are going to leave your precious, little muggle boyfriend and come with me," he began, a look of disgust appearing on his face when he briefly moved his gaze to Tom. "Then we are going to go somewhere private and have a little chat about the natural order of the wizarding world."

Hermione's eyes worriedly flickered to Tom. She hadn't even had the chance to tell him the truth and now he was in terrible danger. This was the worst possible way that he could find out about her heritage. She had to find a way to protect him, and somehow get word to either Harry or the Ministry. However, this could be thought about later. Right at this moment, she needed to concentrate on Rabastan Lestrange. She only hoped that Tom wouldn't be a obstacle.

"I'm not going anywhere with you," Hermione replied. "The Ministry will catch you, you know. You made a mistake coming here."

Rabastan chuckled. "Oh really? Not going anywhere, hmm? Well, I must say then, that your parents do have a lovely home. Do you think they would like it if _I _went over for Sunday roast?"

A chill instantly gripped her heart. _No_, not her parents. After everything she had done to protect them during the war, and then to have this … _scum_try and hurt them. Hermione would not allow it to happen.

"Leave my parents out of this. They're innocent!"

Rabastan sneered. "They can be left out of this, if you do exactly what I say. Now, be a good Mudblood and cooperate."

Hermione's head was spinning. She didn't know what to do, and then there was Tom to think about. If Rabastan only wanted her, perhaps Tom could get away and send for help. But before she could say or do anything, Tom stepped forward, much to her complete surprise, and took a defensive stance in front of her.

"Tom, no—" But the words died in her mouth when he drew a wand—_Bellatrix's wand!_— and pointed it at Lestrange.

What in Merlin's name was going on? Why did Tom have that wand? Hermione inhaled sharply, unable to control the heavy stutter in her chest. Millions of thoughts ran through her head, but the most predominant was only one: had he been lying to her, this whole time? Everything was happening at once and she didn't know what to think. Why would he lie to her about being a wizard?

"I don't think she'll be going anywhere with you," Tom announced in a cold drawl that, instead of making Hermione feel protected, only made her feel instinctively uneasy. She carefully examined his stance and expression and it was like she was looking at a completely different person. Worry gnawed at her gut.

"Oh, and who are you exactly?" Rabastan asked.

_Yes, who are you?_

"You say that you're a Death Eater?" Tom asked, instead of answering Lestrange's question.

"Yes—or were you too fucking deaf to hear it the first time around? How did you get your hands on Bella's wand, you little shit? Are you some kind of pathetic Auror sent to protect the Mudblood?"

"An Auror?" Tom replied. "Now that _is_an interesting theory," he said, before pausing, as if he was enjoying the situation. He gave Rabastan a mocking smirk. "You're Arsenio's boy, aren't you?"

"How do you know that?" Rabastan demanded.

"You're his spitting image," Tom replied smoothly.

Rabastan shifted on his feet, looking uncomfortable for a moment. "So what? What's it to you?"

"I knew your father well," Tom replied easily.

Hermione's insides immediately turned to ice. Tom knew the Lestranges? Betrayal instantly swept through her. She felt as though a stranger was standing in front of her, not her boyfriend of several months. Had this been some sort of game for him, dating her? There was a painful lurch in her chest as the negative emotions filled her.

"How could you possibly know my father?" Rabastan asked disbelievingly.

"We went to school together … he was part of a little group of mine, you might have heard of them … the Knights of Walpurgis."

Hermione froze. _No, no, no_.

It all clicked for her, right then and there. Tom Smith was Tom Riddle. _Voldemort_. Suddenly many things—which previously seemed completely random— instinctively fell into place. It was like she was having a bad dream that she couldn't wake up from. The kind where you had to run, but your legs wouldn't carry you fast enough. Or you knew something bad was about to happen, but you couldn't stop or change the sequence of events leading up to it. If anyone asked Hermione what her actual thought process was in those precious few seconds, she would not have been able to recall them.

How the hell was he here? Hermione had _seen_ Voldemort fall to the ground, dead. Yet, apparently, the man was standing right in front of her … in some sick semblance of _protecting _her?

It was an out-of-body experience. She felt as though she was watching herself stumble backwards, watching as Tom turned around to look at her. _Leave! _Her mind commanded repeatedly. She had to get out of here. It didn't matter where. She would find Harry and …

Why wasn't she leaving? She looked between Rabastan and Tom. Rabastan had a triumphant expression on his face. He must have put a Anti-Disapparition jinx up around the park. She pointed her wand between the two of them.

"Hermione, lower your wand," Tom said calmly and took a step towards her.

Hermione stumbled back, not lowering her wand. "Stay away from me, Voldemort!" she snarled. _"Expeliarmus!" _

However, unlike Harry, she was unsuccessful. Tom easily deflected the spell as if it were a bothersome insect, and Hermione felt her panic levels reaching previously unknown levels. How could she win in a duel against two Dark Wizards? What was he playing at? It was obvious Rabastan—who was now looking at Tom with a weird reverence— didn't know he was Voldemort, at first. Now, it was like all his Christmases had come at once. Not to mention that he had Bellatrix's wand, which he had stolen from her flat. Was he living some kind of undercover life? What were his plans? Hermione was actively trying to now ignore the part of her brain that was telling her she was fucked.

"Give me your wand, Hermione, and you won't get hurt," Voldemort said with that same calm voice from before. It irked Hermione immensely.

"Oh, sure, I'm really going to hand my wand over to you," she spat back sarcastically.

Tom shrugged. "Either way, I will have it. I don't want to hurt you, but you will not ruin anything for me. Do you understand?"

_How had things changed so instantaneously? _Instead of responding, Hermione threw another hex at him which he easily deflected again. She was trapped and her only thought was that she had to get out of the park. Appararition would be possible once she got out of the park. Hermione thought fast on her feet; she knew that she needed something that would give her time, a distraction.

"_Incendio!_" Hermione shouted, and watched as the two men had to jump back as large flames almost exploded right in front of them. In those critical seconds, she had managed to turn and run.

And now it really was like those dreams. Her legs were moving but her mind was repeatedly telling her that they weren't moving fast enough. She thought she had heard a shout of surprise from behind her, but everything around her seemed muted as the greenery of the park rushed by her. She pushed on, the only thing she could focus on was the edge of the park, at least a hundred metres away from her. She could do it. She'd get away and go to Harry. It was all she could think of.

Her lungs were burning. Hermione had not run this fast since the War itself. She wasn't exactly a fitness fanatic to begin with, and groaned as her breathing became erratic and her legs began slipping slightly on the thick grass underneath her.

She was tempted to turn around, but was worried she would lose pace if she did. There wasn't far to go, anyway. She was almost there. Pushing herself, she grit her teeth and let out a grunt of exertion. She was on the tip of relief, only a few metres to go …

Until she heard someone shout, and then she was falling. Her legs collapsed awkwardly underneath her and she winced as she realised she was going to hit the ground face-first. She let out a pained scream. The world went black around her, and the last thing Hermione felt, was her heart break.

XXX

Tom carried an unconscious Hermione through the Manor that Rabastan had brought them to. She was now in a bewitched sleep, and he would not allow her to awake until he had her somewhere secure, and he could discuss a few things with Rabastan.

"This is the Tallis Manor, you say?" he asked Rabastan who walked several steps in front of him.

"Yes, my Lord. Louise Tallis has been letting me stay here for a while now."

"I know Louise."

"Yes, apparently she knew my Father," Rabastan replied and paused at large, ornate door. Muttering a couple of spells, he wove his wand in a strange manner, which Tom recognised easily as setting up several privacy wards. "These guest quarters are hopefully to your standards, my Lord," he said and stepped aside as Tom walked through the doors and into the large suite.

Tom almost rolled his eyes. It was your typical Manor guest room. Large, expensive looking furniture, heavy drapery, and ugly wallpaper. Understated, but ostentatious at the same time. He went and placed Hermione on the bed and then turned to Rabastan.

"This will do. Leave me be for a few moments, then we shall go discuss the current situation."

"Yes, my Lord," Rabastan replied and quickly left the room.

Once he was alone, Tom looked around the room and noted any possible escape routes. He didn't know how long his discussion with Rabastan would take, and it wouldn't do for Hermione to awake and attempt to escape. He went around the room and magically sealed the windows, the french doors which led out to small balcony area, and then searched for any possible escape routes in the attached ensuite. Once he had completed that, he looked around the room with a satisfied smirk. He really did not want to have to tie Hermione up, that would just make things worse. There weren't many things she could use as missiles, though he did vanish several glass vases and some ugly ornaments.

As he left the room, he placed several wards around the room which would not only alert him if there was movement, but also ensure Hermione could not leave. Rabastan was standing on the other side of the hallway and noticeable straightened when Tom appeared.

"There's a study just down the hall, my Lord, if you wish to speak there," Rabastan said.

"Lead the way," Tom replied and gestured for the man to move.

Rabastan started walking and Tom followed closely behind. He had a lot to think about. His plans had now changed exponentially. Hermione knew who he was … and, if was completely honest, he wasn't sure how he would play this. She would be difficult, that much he knew. But he didn't want to let her go. She was a powerful witch, and she was his. He knew that he couldn't approach her like any other idiot he usually dealt with. Tom knew that the one thing he could use was Hermione's compassion. He also knew a key part of this was admitting that he didn't know her when he met her, there was no _'nefarious' _plan to begin with and that the Ministry had a lot of explaining to do.

Rabastan entered a room down the end of the hall and held the door open for Tom. "Silence the room, Rabastan, we don't want anyone to accidentally overhear anything."

"Of course, my Lord," Rabastan replied and began intricately waving his wand.

Tom went and stood by a large mahogany desk, running his fingers along it before looking back up at Rabastan who was standing in the middle of the room waiting for Tom to begin.

"Rabastan, tell me of my other … _Death Eaters_," Tom asked.

Rabastan swallowed heavily. "I haven't been in contact with any other Death Eaters since the war, my Lord. When we thought you were ..." He swallowed, a nervous look passing over his face.

"Dead." Tom rolled his eyes, annoyed. "Yes, yes, the Ministry did a _fine_ job of covering my death up," he said sarcastically. "Fools, all of them. I travelled the world experimenting, learning … for them to be so _naive_ to think that I would die at the hands of that boy … _Potter_," he spat. "The Ministry, in their quest for no one else to know about me, foolishly thought they could make me forget … Again, they underestimated the power or Lord Voldemort. I am proof that magic is might."

"I have never questioned your power, my Lord," Rabastan quickly said, his eyes aglow with excitement.

Tom looked at the man in front of him. Obviously one of his more loyal, less questioning followers. Not like his father at all, who often had to be disciplined for speaking out of turn. This was a powerful Wizard too. He couldn't believe his luck. This was exactly the kind of follower he needed. Speaking of which, he needed to know what happened to his other followers.

"So, what of my other followers?" he asked.

"They were either killed, put in Azkaban, or might have even left the country completely. I haven't seen any other Death Eaters since the war." He looked nervous about revealing such information, but after what Tom had managed to glean from the books and Prophet in Hermione's flat, it was pretty much what he was expecting to hear.

"What made you decide to stay in the country?"

"I have been underground for some time. I had to limit my magic, and then Louise found me. Recently, I had been considering leaving the country … perhaps going somewhere that doesn't kowtow to the British Ministry."

"Hmm, yes, that is an … option. Especially now that Shacklebolt will be trying to cause trouble. I do not want those … imbeciles to make things worse."

"My Lord, if I may, I have remained faithful. I have always been one of your most loyal. I will, of course, be serving you with utmost dedication in your plans."

Tom smirked. "Of course you will, Rabastan," Tom replied smoothly. "And you will be rewarded for your obedience and loyalty."

"Thank you, my Lord," Rabastan said smoothly. "My Lord, if I may ask a question?"

Tom paused for a moment, enjoying the returning feeling of power for a moment. "You may."

"What of the Mudblood?"

Tom arched an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"Well, why are you with her, my Lord? She fought for the li—"

"And?"

"I-I …"

"Save your bumbling, Rabastan. Please refrain from calling Miss Granger such unflattering names," he said and smirked at the fear and questioning in Rabastan's eyes. "I admit, it is strange … but her power is unquestionable. She is my Mudblood. Do you understand, Rabastan?" The underlying warning in his tone was enough.

"Yes, my Lord," he replied. "I simply wondered, as Potter will not let her go without a fight."

"Ah yes, Potter. I look forward to the possibility of … reacquainting myself with the boy."

Rabastan smirked. "I'm sure it will be a lovely surprise."

Tom's eyes glinted. "Indeed. Now, Rabastan, there is something I need from you," he said and moved towards the man until he stood facing him. "_Legilimens."_

XXX

It felt as though she was coming out of a long, deep sleep. She rolled over, snuggling further into the soft, silken sheets before it suddenly hit her. Her eyes snapped open, and her breath stuttered as she took in the foreign surroundings. _Where was she?_

Then it all came back to her. _Voldemort_. Voldemort was Tom Smith, her muggle boyfriend, of all people! Before she could even think of controlling her emotions, she felt tears prick her eyes and a thick, uncontrolled sob escaped her. Clasping her hand to her mouth, she resisted the urge to be sick. How could this have happened? Voldemort was supposed to be dead! Instead, he was apparently very much alive and had been posing as her boyfriend. Hermione's stomach lurched as memories of their time flitted through her mind like a bad movie.

Hermione quickly sat up, ignoring her spinning head, and looked around the bedroom. There were two doors, and one was slightly ajar, revealing the white tiles of a bathroom. Another wave of nausea hit her, and she could feel the vomit like it was at the back of her throat. She jumped off the bed, ran straight into the bathroom, and emptied the contents of her stomach in the toilet. _Her parent's lunch_… Closing her eyes and breathing deeply, she tried to control her rolling stomach.

After what seemed like a few minutes, Hermione pushed herself off of the cool porcelain. Flushing the toilet, she then turned and locked the door and almost laughed out loud at the action. As if she could keep him out by locking the door, but she still did it anyway, needing to at least have the sense of privacy. Turning on the taps at the sink, she splashed cool water on her face and then looked at herself in the mirror.

She certainly was a sight. Her face was blotchy, eyes red-rimmed and her hair was a mess. Drawing in a shuddering breath, she looked away from the mirror, not wanting to look at her reflection any longer, and sat down on the edge of the bath-tub. _What was she going to do?_ Could she possibly escape? She stood up and walked out of the bathroom. Going straight to one of the large windows, she knew it was a long shot but tried opening it anyway. It refused to budge and gave her a small, painful zap just for good measure. _Magic_. Of course he had warded her room. He may not have tied her to the bed, but she knew he probably didn't bother because he was already confident enough in keeping her in. She looked around the room. There were no real objects she could try and throw through the glass. She wondered how much time he had spent in the room, making it 'escape-proof'.

Hermione couldn't help but shudder at the thought of him being around her while she was unconscious. Of course, this couldn't help but make her think of everything else. She unconsciously bit down on her tongue, hard, as a wave of anger and disgust passed through her. _She had slept with him_ … Hermione squeezed her eyes shut and angrily rubbed them as the anger turned to shame. Memories of the intimacy they had shared flashed through her without prompt. Again, a choked sob left her, but she furiously wiped away the tears that automatically appeared. She couldn't, no, _she wouldn't_ sit and cry over what had happened between them. _She hadn't known. _And right now, that was the only thought keeping her sane.

She refused to cry over Voldemort. He had already done enough damage, she was not going to add to it by crying over sleeping with the man. She would not be his victim. She had fought too hard for the freedom to feel accepted as a witch … she was proud of who she was. And yet, she had left the magical world, and look what had happened. Taking a deep breath, Hermione straightened her shoulders. This was just another fight, her mind simplified … she had helped defeat him once before, she could do it again. She desperately wished Harry and Ron were here. _Especially Harry._To Hermione, Harry was the only one who had seen what was inside of Voldemort—Professor Dumbledore being a close second.

What would Harry do in her situation? Or, more importantly, what was Hermione going to do? She needed to be prepared … She needed to have a think about what his weaknesses were, and how could she use them? _Subtly_, of course. She knew that he'd be using what he viewed as her 'weaknesses', so why not fight fire with fire? For the first time since she awoke in this room, a small flicker of hope lit within her. Well, fuck Voldemort, she was going to turn her weaknesses into her strengths. Especially for him.

XXX

Tom left Rabastan's mind and stepped back. The man swayed a bit under the pressure of the Legilimency. It all matched what he had read in the books and newspaper articles, though it was interesting to see the glimpses of him in the years he couldn't recall. The glimpses which couldn't be captured by newspaper reports, or books. The side the 'Light' would never had seen, and the side that would only be seen by the Death Eaters closest to him.

The man Tom had become had power beyond all measure, yet, he had to admit, had been defeated by Harry Potter. Well, he would never repeat _those_ mistakes. _Expelliarmus_, honestly.

Rabastan's level of loyalty had seeped through him the entire time he was in his mind. It only added positively to the power he was feeling right now. He could feel his magic buzzing around him. Though, he knew Hermione was awake now, and had been for some time. He really needed to get back to her room. The sooner he got this over and done with, the better.

"Rabastan, you have pleased me," Tom said smoothly. "Lord Voldemort always rewards those who are loyal to his cause. It appears you are one of my most loyal who still remains. Therefore, we begin strategising, tonight."

Tom could practically feel the excitement radiating off of the Death Eater in front of him. "Yes, my Lord. It would be my honour—"

"Yes, yes. Excellent," he cut him off in a bored voice. "Well, I think it would be prudent to go advise Miss Tallis that you've brought some guests. I think you know what I expect. Do not kill her, her blood—no doubt—keeps the protective family wards in place. My Mudblood has awoken, I must go see to her."

Rabastan bowed. "Yes, my Lord. Most certainly." With that, he quickly left the room.

Tom stood there for a few moments, thinking about how he would approach Hermione when he went to her room. She would be furious, of course. But he would find a way to calm her down. He walked from the room and down the hall to the room. Waving his wand, he unlocked the door, wondering what he would expect on the other side. Hermione continuously had the ability to surprise him, and he knew that it was a high possibility that she would have completely different emotions to what he was anticipating.

He stepped into the room and immediately had to duck as a … bar of soap? was aimed directly at his head. Well, this was going to be interesting. He looked up to see Hermione, standing in the corner of the room, near one of the large windows, and she had moved a coat and hat stand as though she had been trying to break the window with it.

"You're wasting your energy," Tom said smoothly, as if she hadn't just thrown a bar of soap at him.

Hermione turned her attention from the window to him and he couldn't help the familiar tug of excitement at the sight of her. Her hair was wild, eyes bright and angry, mouth set in a thin, angry line. She looked poised for attack. He could feel her angry magic from the other side of the room. Of course she looked utterly devastated. How could he deny the true potential of this witch? It made him all the more determined to ensure that she would eventually, and _willingly_, see things his way.

"Get away from me, Voldemort," she spat. "Don't come any closer!"

Tom held up his hands, his wand clearly visible. "This doesn't have to get nasty, Hermione."

"No, it doesn't, if you stay away from me," she replied.

He watched her with something akin to growing excitement; she was like a caged wild animal. Her breathing was heavy, and her eyes darted anxiously around the room, as if hoping for an escape route.

"What do you want, Voldemort? If you think I will let you get to Harry through me, you've got another thing coming," she said. "You're supposed to be dead, I _saw _you die!"

Tom smirked. "I have seen magic you could only dream of … seen the impossible made possible. Do you think, for a minute then, that I wouldn't have more insurance on my own immortality? and I can assure you that I don't give a fuck about your friend, Harry Potter, any more."

"Oh, so what, you had a change of heart on Muggleborns? What, you just sought me out because you _liked _my personality?" she replied sarcastically, before scoffing.

"I actually had no idea who you were when I met you, Hermione," he began, knowing it was time to put his plan in motion. "You see, you precious Minister, that fool Dumbledore, thought it would be a great idea to _Obliviate_me."

Hermione stilled instantly, and Tom relished the look of utter surprise on her face. "What are you talking about?" she asked, her voice only a whisper.

"Oh, yes, I was Obliviated. When I met you, I did believe I was Tom Smith," his lip curled in distaste. "But you," he began, looking her dead in the eye. "Even as a 'Muggle', I knew there was something different about you, Hermione Granger."

"Why should I believe you?" she asked and he couldn't help but note the way her bottom lip trembled.

"Well, why would I say such a thing otherwise? The more time I spent with you, the more I started to remember. I didn't realise it at the time, but I could actually feel your magic, Hermione," he said, and watched as she seemed to unconsciously flush under his gaze. "You're a very powerful witch."

"It doesn't matter," she finally replied. "You won't get away with this—"

"Oh, but what would you say if I told you that I already have got away with it," he smirked triumphantly at her.

"What are you talking about?"

"Your Minister knows, dearest. He knows that I have my memories back, and he knows who my _girlfriend_is."

Tom watched as something changed in Hermione's body language. Whatever she had been holding prior to his 'big reveal' seemed to disappear as Tom revealed that her precious Minister was well-aware of her current relationship status.

Hermione released a shuddering breath and looked down at her hands, before looking back up at him again. "No, they wouldn't do that. They wouldn't allow it,"she muttered.

"Oh, but they did. So where is your Ministry now, Hermione?"

Hermione looked away from him quickly and he watched as she brought her hands to her face and rubbed her eyes. When she turned back, her eyes were bright with unshed tears. Seizing her moment of vulnerability, he swept over to her, standing directly in front of her. When she didn't react to his close proximity, he decided to try something else and gently pulled her into him, running his hands across her shoulders.

She remained rigid, and he then ran a hand down her spine and felt her shudder. Leaning down, nuzzling her hair, he whispered in her ear, "But who has protected you, Hermione? Who protected you, and who has not hurt you? Why has your Ministry not rescued you from me? I knew who you were for some time … I know _everything _now, do you understand? And yet here I am, still. Here I am, asking for you to stay ..."

She stiffened immediately, before trying to pull herself out of his grasp. Tom held tight, he wasn't going to let her go.

"You have some thinking to do," he finally spoke again, after she had calmed down. This time he moved one of hands to her chin and lifted it, so their gazes met. "I'll leave you for tonight, Hermione, but I expect a response by tomorrow."

XXX

* * *

AN: Sooooooo, how about those boyfriends who go around being someone else, eh? terrible, terrible cads. Anyway, I don't think I really have much to say after all that drama. I'm all "drama-ed" out people! But I hope you liked reading it, and all reviews are welcome, as I love reviews like I love Sirius Black (oh, baby), so please share. Now, please note all anon review replies can be found at the Tomione convention forum (link in my profile).

Cheers

Shan


	22. Chapter 22

**A/N: **Hi all, welcome to chapter 22! Not as long a wait as last time ;P Thank you to Nerys for reading through the chapter and making sure it was okay.

Chapter song recommendations: Diet Mountain Dew - Lana Del Rey, Insane - Flume, The Fallen - Franz Ferdinand, Do You Want To - Franz Ferdinand

XXX

Funnily enough, it was easy to 'pretend' to be upset, when you actually were upset.

Voldemort had left Hermione a good couple of hours ago to 'think over' the ultimatum he had given her. She scoffed and rubbed her face tiredly. Some ultimatum. What choice did she really have? Say, _'no, thanks' _and then politely ask where the front door was? No, she doubted that would really go over too well.

She knew that she had to tread carefully. The worst thing she could allow herself to do was become too confident in dealing with him. He would turn on her in a second if it suited him. With that in mind, she had been recalling everything she knew about Tom Marvolo Riddle, from what Harry had told her, to even her own memories of wearing the locket Horcrux. She hated remembering that. It was one of the darkest times in her life, having that awful … _thing _whispering a constant stream of negativity in her ear— whether it was about herself, Harry, or Ron.

She recalled what Voldemort had said earlier, that Kingsley knew about their relationship. She let out a long-held breath … had Voldemort and Kingsley had some sort of confrontation when his memories came back? That information had actually thrown her. She'd be lying if she wasn't furious about it. Why hadn't Kingsley said or done anything to help her? Hermione was logical enough to deduce that Voldemort had probably threatened Kingsley … but why would he even bother? If he suddenly remembered who he was, why did he stick around? Hermione decided that the confrontation must not have happened that long ago. Besides, she couldn't ignore the part of her mind that told her that Kingsley _would _be doing something to try and help her. If Voldemort still had her around, she knew he must have threatened Kingsley.

She also thought about everything he had said to her before he left her alone to 'decide'. More like time to accept_ his way_. But something still confused her; why was he so intent on keeping her with him? It confused her and made it difficult the plan on how to deal with him. She realised she needed to play on how hurt she was, and then work out a way to get out of here. Now that she thought about it, though, it was easier said than done. How was she supposed to get out of this room without her wand?

Hermione logically knew that her going 'missing' wouldn't go unnoticed, even if she didn't speak to her friends every day. In fact, she was supposed to go to classes tomorrow, and she had promised to lend some notes to Blaise and study with him. Surely something would seem off, as Hermione never missed classes. Not to mention the fact that Harry, Ginny, or Ron would notice if she never returned an owl.

She sat up on the bed and looked down at her hands. What exactly was Voldemort doing?

XXX

"Have you called her?" Tom asked Rabastan as he returned to the drawing room they had been in for the last couple of hours, discussing their options.

"Yes, my Lord. She's coming now."

"Good," Tom replied. He was looking forward to seeing the reaction of Louise Tallis when she realised who was currently staying in her house.

In the meantime, after leaving Hermione to come to terms with the new turn of events, he had spent more time catching up on what had been happening in the last fifty years. In particular, what happened after his second resurrection.

He had made a mistake underestimating a bunch of meddlesome teenagers. The more he learnt, from reading and what he had gathered from Rabastan's memories, he realised had been too arrogant, too early, and completely underestimated this Harry Potter character.

He wouldn't make that same mistake.

The door creaked open, and Tom glanced up, watching as Louise entered the room. He smirked when her eyes fell on him and widened with surprise and recognition before her face went carefully blank.

"Louise," he began, in a mock-friendly tone, "I must say, you've aged _horribly_."

"Tom Riddle," Louise said in a whisper as she looked at him. "So, the magic worked …"

"Indeed, and it's all thanks to you," Tom replied smugly.

"I knew you'd be back," she muttered, but it seemed as if she said it more to herself, rather than the other two people in the room.

"Louise, the Dark Lord will be staying here until we work out what our next plans are," Rabastan announced.

Louise looked at his follower, and Tom noted the brief flash of disappointment in her expression, before it went blank again. She turned to look at Tom again, and her lip curled in disgust. "Of course, why should I expect anything less? How much more do you wish to take from me?"

Tom's wand was out in a flash and the woman collapsed on the ground, a blood curdling scream filling the room. The curse was one from his own arsenal, one that slowly froze your insides. If held for too long, the person would die. Tom twisted his wand, strengthening the curse, watching her with a bored expression. As her scream became hoarse and cracked, he stopped, and watched as the woman tried to collect herself. "Rabastan, get her wand," he ordered, and watched as Rabastan quickly collected the wand from her robes before pocketing it. He focused all of his attention on her. "I could just kill you," he said lightly, and watched as she managed to lift herself off the floor and make eye contact.

"If you do, the wards will immediately dismantle, the protections will be gone," she muttered, wincing in pain. "This place is only protected with a Tallis inside it."

Tom mused on her response for a moment. Of course he had already guessed that … not that he would say anything. It was always fun toying with people. Especially when their lives were on the line. Besides, he didn't have to actually kill her ... if she misbehaved, there were ways of keeping her alive … just barely.

As if she understood his expression, she looked away immediately. "If there is anything I can do during your stay, let me know."

Tom smirked, he knew the words must have tasted vile for her, which is why he enjoyed it all the more.

"Thank you, Louise. Always so clever … You may go," he replied and watched as the woman slowly stood up, obviously in immense pain, and left the room. Once she had left, Tom turned his attention to his follower.

"Rabastan, ensure that she can't get near Hermione's room," he muttered, as he turned and walked over to the desk nearby, effectively dismissing him.

"Yes, my Lord," Rabastan replied, and quickly left the room.

Tom stared down at the paperwork in front of him. His knew that his only option was to leave the country. He could get away, go somewhere that didn't have ties to the British Ministry, and regroup.

He knew it had to be sooner, rather than later. Hermione immediately came to his thoughts again. He needed to think about how he would convince her, and soon.

XXX

Louise quickly left the room, needing to get back to her room where she could take a pain relief potion. As she tried to speed up her steps, her body groaned in protest. She was too old for this shit.

Though, she also wanted to find out who the other person Rabastan had brought into her house. The wards had notified her that an extra three people were in the house, just not _who_they were exactly.

"Louise!" Rabastan called as he ran down the hall after her.

"What is it, Rabastan?" Louise asked, her voice tight from the pain of Riddle's curse, though she didn't stop walking.

"You need to stay away from the East wing," he said, his strides soon matching hers..

Louise stopped walking and spun to face him. "This is _my_house!"

Rabastan's face was blank as he loomed over her. "That's not a suggestion, Louise. Besides, we all need to make sacrifices. This is our chance. The Dark Lord never really went away, and now he's going to rightfully turn our world into the place it should be."

"Rabastan, your Father—"

"Don't tell me what my father would or would not say!" Rabastan snapped. "Stop talking about him! Stop obsessing over him! The Dark Lord told me, you know. Told me that you were his _whore_."

_After everything she had done for him._Louise stood there, tight-lipped. She looked into his eyes and the mad, unsettled glint which had always been there, under the surface, seemed even more intense. This man was completely gone, his madness and obsession too strong to let anything or anyone else in. It made Louise mourn his father all over again. To think this was what had become of Arsenio's family … Louise shook her head sadly. He looked so much like his Father, it completely unsettled her to see that look in his eye,

"Fine," she replied quietly. "I'll do my best to stay out of your way, but I want you both out of my house soon."

Before he could say anything more, Louise turned her back on him and continued walking, hoping that she'd wake up from this nightmare soon.

XXX

Draco flopped down on the couch with the piece of parchment in one of his hands and groaned in annoyance. His Mother had Owled him requesting his presence at the Manor _again_. Apparently she wanted his opinion on redecorating the library. Honestly, as if Draco cared.

Although he knew it was all a ruse. She had vaguely mentioned that Daphne Greengrass would be there, and apparently her sister too. Draco had no interest in Daphne Greengrass, and besides, he knew she had some kind of crush on Blaise. As for Daphne's little sister, the only memory he had of her was a scrawny, mousey brunette who was a few years beneath them at Hogwarts. She hadn't exactly been on his radar, either. He was irritated that he had to spend the afternoon with them; he was sick of his Mother trying to set him up all the time. He was Draco Malfoy, he didn't need help getting women!

Okay, maybe it had been a long time since he had last dated anyone, but he wasn't interested in dating a muggle girl, and quite frankly, after going through all the shit with the war, Draco was hesitant about dating anyone. There were few people who understood what he went through, and he didn't want to date someone from the old pureblood circle, who was actually upset Voldemort had lost. Draco was relieved the Dark Lord was gone, even if it had meant his Father was now in Azkaban and the Malfoy name was in tatters. Anything was better than the Dark Lord living at your house, he thought to himself and gave an involuntary shudder at some memories that immediately popped up.

Trying to push the memories aside, his attention turned to the chest his feet were currently resting on. Shrugging, he decided to open it and have a look inside. His Mother had already asked him several times if he had looked through it yet. He wasn't sure why she was being so annoying about it, but she had mentioned something about Malfoy Industries, family expectations, and learning the family business. Draco's idea of fun was not looking through a bunch of boring business papers. Still, to get her off his back at the next dinner, he should at least have some business knowledge that he could throw back at her when she asked.

Opening the chest with a quick wave of his wand, he grimaced. There was a lot that had been put in there. Draco reached down and picked up some random files which looked to be budget reports from the last few years. _Boring_. Putting those files down, his eyes were immediately drawn to an intricately carved box. Pulling it out, he leaned back on the couch and opened the dusty old box. His eyes widened slightly with interest, as the box was crammed with a number of pictures in no particular order.

Draco picked up a bunch of photos and began flicking through them. There were a lot of him as a child, on his first broom, or playing in the Manor gardens. He came across some of his parents, obviously when they were still young and not long out of Hogwarts. A pang of regret went through him as he looked at their young faces … his Dad must have thought he had the whole world at his feet in those days, and now look at him. Draco's jaw clenched, but he continued looking through the pictures trying to remain as calm as possible. A small smirk curled his lips when he came across some of him with Blaise when they looked to be about eight or nine years old, looking annoyed to be facing a camera, obviously unhappy about having to stand still. He was surprised his Father had kept all of these pictures … he'd never imagined Lucius to be the sentimental sort. Sure, he knew his Father loved him and his Mother, despite his strange way of showing it, but all of these photos were the sentimental sort. The kind you'd see actually on display in the house of a Gryffindor, or someone. The Malfoy family had portraits, not happy snaps. He briefly wondered if his Mother had been the one to slip them in. That was the most likely answer.

He was even more surprised to find some pictures of his Grandfather in there. Including some old Hogwarts photos. Draco sniggered at the out-of-date uniforms. He thought they had it bad … his Grandfather looked like a right ponce with that hairstyle and those high waisted pants.

Before he could laugh too much at the unfortunate uniforms of past Hogwarts students, he was interrupted by Blaise arriving back.

"Hey," Blaise called out in greeting from the entranceway, making his way into the lounge room and sitting heavily on the couch, looking annoyed. "Did Hermione call here?"

"Nope," Draco drawled. "Weren't you supposed to be studying with her?" he asked.

"I was. She didn't show …"

Draco looked at his friend. "Really? That's uncharacteristic of Granger not to show to a study session."

"Yeah, I know. I thought something would have come up and she might have called."

Draco was thoughtful. "Not sure. Maybe it's something to do with that moronic boyfriend of hers," he replied.

Blaise shrugged, still looking annoyed about the whole thing. "Probably. I hate that git," he muttered like it was an afterthought.

Draco rolled his eyes. "Who doesn't. Well, Granger not included."

Blaise shrugged and then stood up. Draco watched as he went over to the phone and dialled a number, Draco guessing he'd be trying to call Granger. He watched as Blaise's eyebrows furrowed in confusion before putting the phone down.

"No answer," Blaise explained.

"Maybe she's sick or something?"

Blaise sat down again. "Maybe … I just have this weird feeling—"

"Granger can look after herself … besides, what does she have to worry about? She'd hex anyone who even tried to lay a finger on her," Draco interrupted. He thought it was uncharacteristic of her, too. But he thought Granger could handle herself well enough. If she couldn't hex, she could definitely punch, Draco thought sourly.

"Yeah … I suppose you're right," Blaise replied, shaking his head. "I'll try to call her again later," he muttered, before looking down at the pictures. "What in Merlin's name are those?" he asked as he spotted Draco's Grandfather and proceeded to pick up the pictures.

"Old photos … obviously. My Grandfather, Abraxas," Draco supplied.

Blaise snorted as he flicked through the photos. "Those uniforms are awful. What is with the pants?"

"I know." Draco smirked.

Blaise stopped at a particular picture, paying it extra attention. "I always forget how old Slughorn is," he muttered as he looked at the picture.

Draco leaned over his shoulder and looked. "Really? That old, pathetic, wind—"

"Draco," Blaise interrupted, his tone sounding off. "Look there, right there." His finger pointed at a particular person in the picture.

Draco squinted. They were looking at what appeared to be an old Slug Club picture. They were all standing around a proud looking Slughorn. The boy Blaise was pointing at, while not a close up, looked very familiar.

Blaise suddenly picked up another picture which had been next on the pile. The photo only had Slytherin students in it, and the faces were more clear. Both Draco and Blaise were eerily silent as they stared at the young man with dark hair, high cheekbones, and a haughty smirk.

"That's—" But before Blaise could finish, Draco had snatched the picture back and was staring at it with dawning horror. He flipped it over and squinted as his eyes adjusted to read the cursive script on the back:

_Slug Club, 1945: Abraxas Malfoy, Alphard Black, Arsenio Lestrange, Tom Riddle_—

Draco stopped reading right there, feeling sick.

_Tom Riddle. Tom Riddle is Lord Voldemort._

"Granger's boyfriend," Draco finished, the blood in his veins going ice cold.

XXX

Kingsley looked up from his paperwork when he heard the sharp knock on his door. One of his younger Advisors, Adrian Pucey, stood there looking like he had news.

"Come in, Adrian," Kingsley said, while pushing the paperwork aside.

Adrian nodded and stepped into the room, careful to shut the door behind him. "Boss, that project you've had me working on. The one you told me not to talk to anyone about—"

"You have news?"

"Yes, the magic you're talking about … well, there is only one book in England which would cover such a subject." Adrian squirmed uncomfortably at discussing the topic of such dark magic.

"And you've found it?"

Adrian nodded. "Yes, it's owned by the Tallis family. Their Manor is located just outside of Dorney. We're currently double checking the location of it. Their family was known for having quite a substantial library."

"Dorney," Kingsley muttered more to himself than anything. He started feeling a small bit of hope at the news. If he could get the book, then they could get Hermione out sooner. He finally looked up at Adrian who was waiting patiently for his next task. "Excellent work, Adrian. When you find out where the house is, I want you to come see me straight away, is that clear?"

"Yes, Minister," Adrian replied before quickly leaving the office to get back to work.

Kingsley leaned back in his chair and rubbed his eyes tiredly once the other man had left the office.

"Kingsley," Dumbledore said, catching his attention.

"Dumbledore," he greeted the portrait. Dumbledore had rarely left this portrait since Kingsley's confrontation with Tom Riddle. He had been helping Kingsley trying to find a magical way of undoing Tom Riddle's complicated magic.

"That's excellent news, Kingsley. If we can get our hands on the book, we can find out more about the magic he used. Then we can possibly reverse it."

"We should have destroyed him from the start." Kingsley shook his head in anger.

"We didn't know how to. The magic would have just kept rejuvenating him at that age over and over again, Kingsley. And we don't even know if the book will be able to give us any answers, either. No one thought that this would happen. The odds of him meeting Miss Granger, overcoming the magic controlling his memory loss …"

Kingsley didn't reply, seeming to be lost in his own guilt and thoughts.

"The Tallis family. The last of that line is still alive, Louise Tallis is her name," Dumbledore continued. "She was once a student of mine. Ravenclaw … very bright."

"Oh?" Kingsley asked, finally broken from his thoughts.

"Yes … She also attended school at the exact same time as Tom Riddle."

"Oh." _Fuck_.

XXX

Draco and Blaise stormed through the Atrium at the Ministry, ignoring the curious stares that they were attracting as they headed towards the lifts.

Quickly jumping into a lift, both Blaise and Draco cast haughty glares at a short, balding man who went to enter the lift with them. The man quickly stuttered and almost tripped out of the lift, leaving the two young men as the only passengers. Blaise turned to the attendant and demanded they go to level two, where they would find the Auror office.

The attendant gave them a funny look, but said nothing more, and soon enough their lift was moving swiftly along, only jerking a couple of times before it halted. A cool, feminine voice announced that they had arrived at the Department of Magical Law Enforcement.

Without giving the attendant a second glance, both men stepped out of the lift in sync and swiftly made their way to the reception area. Draco sighed when they saw who the secretary was at the front desk. He had completely forgot that Pansy Parkinson had received community service after the war for being caught spouting pureblood related idealisms. _What a moron, I cannot believe I let her pretend to be my girlfriend._It was hilarious, therefore, that she had to work in the same place as Pothead and Weaselbee.

"Draco and Blaise?" Pansy greeted in surprise. "What are you two doing here?"

"We need to see Potter, now," Blaise demanded, instead of a greeting.

Pansy's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Potter? Why on earth—"

"There's no time to explain," Draco interrupted, giving her a look. "It's extremely important."

Pansy looked between the two of them, clearly unimpressed with their behaviour, but instead of arguing, she carefully pulled a piece of parchment out, wrote something down, tapped it with her wand twice, and then sat back, obviously waiting for a response. The paper glowed bright red for a moment, and Pansy looked down at it, before looking at the two of them again.

"He'll be out shortly," she said. "So, why, if I may—"

"No, you may not ask," Draco cut across her quickly and ignored the huff she gave in return.

Merlin, this waiting was making him freak out. Draco didn't have much experience with doing the right thing … well, not really, anyway. But he, and Blaise for that matter, had to tell Potty. The picture was too similar to 'Tom Smith' to not worry … Draco was pulled from his thoughts when Boy Wonder finally walked into the reception area.

"Malfoy?" Pothead asked with a look of confusion, before he turned to Zabini. "Zabini?"

Draco liked to think that confusion was a pretty regular look on Potter's face. That, and dumb wonder.

"Excellent observation skills, Potter. Look, we need to talk to you, and it's urgent," Draco said.

"Er, I'm in the middle of a training session—"

"Potter," Blaise coolly interrupted, "This really is important. We wouldn't interrupt if it wasn't."

The only way Draco could tell that Blaise was incredibly stressed was his tight jaw. He turned from his friend back to Potter, and noted that Potter still looked confused. _Surprise, surprise_.

"Okay," Potty finally replied, and gestured for them to follow him down a long hallway.

They reached a plain, nondescript, grey door and he led them into what looked like a small interview room.

"So what's this about?" Potter asked when the door was shut.

"It's about Hermione," Blaise said, before turning to Draco and gesturing for him to get the picture out.

"Hermione?" Potter asked, looking confused. _Yet again, _Draco thought, trying not to sneer.

Draco pulled the picture out of his pocket and handed it to Potter, who looked down at the picture with furrowed eyebrows as he studied the images. Slowly, his expression changed from confusion (_finally_), to a horror-filled look of recognition. He looked up at Draco, his face tense and held the picture up.

"Why are you showing me this? And what does this have to do with Hermione?" he asked, his voice taking on that constipated angry tone that Draco remembered from school.

"Tom Riddle—" Blaise began, but Draco interrupted, frustrated with everything.

"The thing is, Potter, you had _one _job, and you failed. Tom Riddle is Tom Smith." Draco wished that the situation was less serious, so he could take more joy in pointing out Potter's failure.

"Tom Smith …" Realisation dawned on Potter's face.

"Is Tom Riddle, who is Granger's boyfriend," Draco replied.

XXX

Hermione paced the room in had a feeling Voldemort would be back soon, and she wasn't sure how she would act around him. A part of her still wanted to fight him, of course, but it was difficult to know what to do when he was already being so unpredictable.

She was pulled from her thoughts and pacing when the door to her room opened and the man occupying her thoughts entered.

"Hermione," he greeted smoothly.

It annoyed her that his greeting was so casual, as if everything was normal and she wasn't locked away in this bedroom with a man who had made her teenage years a living hell.

"What do you want?" she finally asked.

Tom's eyebrows rose in what seemed like amusement. "I just wanted to see how you were settling in?"

"Oh, just dandy." Hermione rolled her eyes and walked as far away from him as possible. "I don't know why you're even asking such an obvious question," she added sarcastically. She stopped at the window and looked out of it, wishing he would just go away and leave her alone.

"You know, I did wonder what would happen when I told you who I really was," Tom mused as he slowly made his way over to her. "I was reluctant-"

Hermione snorted inelegantly. "Reluctant? Now, why would that be?"

He stopped right behind her and Hermione tried to sidestep him, though he had already boxed her in, both of his hands coming out to rest on the window beside her, caging her in. Hermione stiffened when she felt his lips brush lightly against her shoulder.

"I was worried it would ruin things between us," he murmured. "But now I think that it only makes things more … interesting. Have you had a chance to think about the options I gave you earlier?"

Hermione tried to ignore the shivers that went down her spine at his touch. Why was she still having these reactions towards him?! Scowling she quickly turned around, and her heart thumped at how close they were from one another.

"You're going to get caught. People will come looking for me. You've made a big mistake," she said, her voice dead calm, not betraying the maelstrom of emotions she was currently feeling at their close contact.

His stare sent prickles all the way down her spine, and she quickly averted her eyes, remembering that he was an accomplished Legilimens. She couldn't help but suck in a sharp breath when he leant down, so his nose brushed her cheek.

"I don't consider you a mistake, Hermione," he whispered. "It's why I'm asking you to come with me."

Hermione looked away, biting down harshly on her bottom lip. She remained silent for a few moments, collecting her thoughts, before she felt his arms move around her, pulling her into his embrace.

"You're my biggest mistake," she finally replied quietly, stiff in his arms. "I hate you." She was surprised at the venom in her own tone, and even more surprised to feel him stiffen at those words, she didn't expect Lord Voldemort to have any reaction at all to her declaration.

"No. You don't," he replied, his voice so cold it sent chills down her spine. "You don't hate me. You hate that you're still attracted to me, even after finding this out. You hate that I accept your blood; it confuses you. You hate that your feelings for me haven't gone away … Do you think I don't know, Hermione?" he asked, and pulled her even more tightly against him, his lips finding her neck and pressing subtle kisses in the areas he knew affected her the most. "But what you hate the most is that I understand you. I understand you needs, wants, desires … And I can give them to you ..."

Hermione's eyes snapped open, her mind reeling as she felt his lips, trying to ignore his intoxicating scent. Taking a deep breath, steeling herself, she slowly pushed him back slightly. When her heartbeat was finally under control, as well as other things, she finally looked at him. His eyes were bright, pupils dilated. Looking at him made her feel like she had been sucker-punched.

"How do you think I feel?" she asked quietly, and moved away from him. He let her go, his arms dropping to his sides, as he watched her move across the room in silence. Finally, when she was close to the bed, she turned and looked at him. "How do you think I feel, knowing who you are, and yet feeling the way I do?" Her voice was cold, but cracked at all the right moments.

"You are at an impasse," he commented, and moved over to her. Standing behind her, he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her towards him, so her back molded into his chest. She hated that she noted how perfectly they fit against one another. "What do you want? To give in to your desires, or live up to your morals … You know, if you were with me, we could leave, and you'd never have to worry about anything. Think of what we could discover … together."

Hermione let out a bitter huff of laughter. "You say I have a choice … Excuse me if I find that hard to believe, considering you're keeping me locked away in a room, with no way of leaving."

"Could I have made my proposal to you any other way?"

"You're insane."

"And you're in denial," he replied, and dropped a light kiss against the back of her neck. "But if you don't want me, I'll let you leave, and you'll never see me again."

Hermione blinked. Why did her heart twist at his last words? "What's the catch?" she finally asked in a low voice.

"I'll do what they did to me, I'll make you forget," he replied simply.

"You sound almost noble with that suggestion." Hermione felt the bitterness creeping and crawling within her and tried to push it down.

"If you hated me, it would be."

_But I love you, and you've ruined everything_.

Shame washed over her at her realisation. She … loved him. No, she loved Tom Smith, not Tom Riddle. _But how different are they, really?_

He'd make her forget, and to Hermione, that was worse than knowing. She'd forget everything she knew about him, everything they had done together. But the worst thing was, she'd have no control over it.

"But …" she trailed off.

"Yes?" Tom asked.

_I don't want to forget … _Something cold settled in her stomach at the realisation. She really didn't want to forget. No matter what, no matter who he was, she didn't want to have her memories altered.

"I … I—"

"Don't want to forget."

XXX

**A/N: **Thank you for reading! If you guys couldn't tell, I was feeling a tad sentimental writing this chapter. I hope it's okay. I feel a bit nervous about posting it. Maybe it's because this story is almost over... And yes, I know I have a serious problem with picking Slytherins as side characters. Haha.

To my fellow Aussies, happy Australia Day for the 26th! I hope none of you have been caught up in any of the extreme weather we've had recently, whether it's the bushfires, heat wave, or monsoonal rain. If you have been affected by any of it, I hope you're okay now and surrounded by family and friends xox.


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